Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said Saturday that too many holiday breaks may affect the productivity and competitiveness of workers.

“If there are too many holidays and employees report for duty on those days, additional premium pay is rendered. There should be a balance,” Laguesma said in an interview.

“If there are too many holidays, wherein there are national holidays aside from local holidays, investors take these things into consideration,” he pointed out.

Laguesma made the statements after Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero said the Senate agreed to limit the approval of bills on local holidays as lawmakers want the country to be “more competitive.”

Address deeper issues

Meanwhile, the Nagkaisa Labor Coalition on Friday opposed the proposed reduction in the number of holidays.

Nagkaisa Labor Coalition chairperson Atty. Sonny Matula said that instead of focusing on reducing the number of holidays, lawmakers should instead examine the struggles of workers.

“They should address real issues, including the heavy traffic, the P150 national wage increase, wage discrimination and contractualization,” Matula said.

“Contrary to arguments that too many holidays reduce competition, we believe that appropriate rest periods can enhance productivity by allowing workers to rest, recharge, and spend quality time with their families,” he added.