Philippine Holidays - PH Holidays 2015

Philippine holidays for the country are declared as regular holidays, special (non-working) days and special holidays (for all schools).

Consistent with the government's advocacy of holiday economics to boost domestic tourism and to allow Filipinos to have more time with their families, there will be some long holiday vacation opportunities.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is encouraging everyone to start planning their Philippine holiday vacations early.

"We urge our countrymen to explore the 7,107 islands they haven't seen or would like to revisit. We have the beach, mountains, countryside, heritage sites, caves, rivers, food trips, urban verve -- almost everything a traveler would want to experience, the Philippines has it.

We advise people to book ahead to get the best and affordable tour packages and promotional fares," said the Philippine Secretary of Tourism.

"We also urge our partners – hotels, resorts, spas, tour operators, and transportation stakeholders – to create more options and flexible packages. We have a very broad range of options to offer the most picky tourist. Group tours will also be big as we all know that Filipinos love to travel with their families and friends,".

The governments has declared the following as a Philippine holiday and regular and special non-working holidays:

Philippine Holidays 2015

January 1, 2015, Thursday – New Year’s Day (Regular holiday)

January 2, 2015, Friday – Additional special non-working day (Special non-working day)

February 19, 2015, Thursday – Chinese New Year (Special non-working day)

February 25, 2015, Wednesday – EDSA Revolution anniversary (Special holiday)

April 2, 2015, Thursday – Maundy Thursday (Regular holiday)

April 3, 2015, Friday – Good Friday (Regular holiday)

April 4, 2015, Saturday – Black Saturday (Special non-working day)

April 9, 2015, Thursday – Araw ng Kagitingan (Regular holiday)

May 1, 2015, Friday – Labor Day (Regular holiday)

June 12, 2015, Friday – Independence Day (Regular holiday)

August 21, 2015, Friday – Ninoy Aquino Day (Special non-working day)

August 31, 2015, last Monday of August – National Heroes Day (Regular holiday)

November 1, 2015, Sunday – All Saints Day (Special non-working day)

November 30, 2015, Monday – Bonifacio Day (Regular holiday)

December 24, 2015, Thursday – Additional special non-working day (Special non-working day)

December 25, 2015, Friday – Christmas Day (Regular holiday)

December 30, 2015, Wednesday – Rizal Day (Regular holiday)

December 31, 2015, Thursday – Last day of the year (Special non-working day)

*Separate proclamations will be issued for the observance of Eid’l Fitr and Eidul Adha

Although Boracay, Palawan, Davao, Cebu, Bohol, Vigan, Baguio and Manila are the country's top spots, the agency is similarly advocating discovery of unexplored sites.

Siquijor, Camiguin, Quezon, Zamboanga del Sur and del Norte, Camsur, Batangas, Mindoro, Dumaguete, Leyte and Negros also have pristine beaches that can rival Boracay. While old heritage sites are not exclusive to Vigan, as Iloilo, Bacolod, and Laguna have their own century-old architectural marvels to enjoy during a Philippine holiday.

Trekkers may consider the mountains of Sagada, Cavite, Bataan, Bulacan, Mountain Province, Romblon, Batanes, and Marinduque, among others.

"In other parts of the world, birdwatching is an expensive leisure pursuit, taken up mostly by famous personalities. Here, we have over 200 endemic species of birds within our view, we should be the first to discover our own national treasures."