January 25, 2024

Official Holiday Guide for US Mangers of Philippines-Based Software Development Teams

Holidays in the Philippines and the United States

Stepping into 2024, it’s important for software development teams, especially those managing remote operations, to be well-versed in the holiday schedules of key regions like the Philippines and the United States.

Keeping abreast of these holidays is not just a cultural nod but a strategic necessity for effective project management, streamlined payroll processing, and efficient team scheduling. To aid in this, we’ve put together an extensive list detailing the holidays in both the Philippines and the United States.

Philippines holidays fall into three categories:

Regular Holidays
Special Non-Working Days
Additional Special Non-Working Days

Each category is unique in its cultural relevance, impact on compensation, and frequency.

Regular Holidays often mark significant historical moments and generally mean a complete break from work with associated pay benefits. In contrast,
Special Non-Working Days are typically observed to honor particular traditions or events, featuring more relaxed pay rules and usually no pay for non-work.
Additional Special Non-Working Days are government-appointed dates, often added to lengthen existing holidays or to commemorate special occasions, and they share similar pay regulations to Special Non-Working Days but occur less consistently.

For teams in the software development sector, particularly those involved in outsourcing or managing remote teams, grasping these differences is key to optimizing operational efficiency.

Philippines National Holiday Schedule for 2024

Regular Holidays

January 1, New Year’s Day (Monday)
March 28, Maundy Thursday
March 29, Good Friday
April 9, Araw ng Kagitingan (Tuesday)
May 1, Labor Day (Wednesday)
June 12, Independence Day (Wednesday)
August 26, National Heroes Day (Monday)
November 30, Bonifacio Day (Saturday)
December 25, Christmas Day (Wednesday)
December 30, Rizal Day (Monday)

Special Non-Working Days

August 21, Ninoy Aquino Day (Wednesday)
November 1, All Saints’ Day (Friday)
December 8, Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary (Sunday)
December 31, Last Day of the Year (Tuesday)

Additional Special Non-Working Days

February 10, Chinese New Year (Saturday)
March 30, Black Saturday
November 2, All Souls’ Day (Saturday)
December 24, Christmas Eve (Tuesday)

Note: Observances for Eid’l Fitr and Eid’l Adha will be announced separately, based on the recommendations from the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos and the Islamic or lunar calendar.