Comelec urges Marcos to declare 12 May holiday

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday, 5 May, said it has formally asked President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to declare 12 May—the day of the midterm polls and a Sunday—as a special non-working holiday.

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said declaring election day a holiday would help ensure higher voter turnout by allowing more Filipinos to vote without work-related obligations.

"Para naman po mabigyan ng pagkakataon ang sambayanang Pilipinong makaboto, iisipin nila kahit na hindi na makapasok sa araw na yun, total naman declared holiday naman (So that the Filipino people are given a chance to vote, they’ll think that even if they don’t go to work that day, it’s fine since it will be a declared holiday anyway)," Garcia told reporters.

Although election days in the Philippines are traditionally declared as special non-working holidays, no official proclamation has been issued yet for this year’s polls.

"Ganun naman po talaga pero ito po ay kakailanganin ng deklarasyon ng ating Pangulo (That’s really how it usually is, but it will still require a declaration from our President)," Garcia added.

Around 68 million registered voters are expected to take part in the May 12 elections to elect over 18,000 officials, including 12 senators, 254 district representatives, 63 party-list lawmakers, and 17,942 local officials such as governors, mayors, and councilors.

Proclamation No. 727, which outlines the official holidays for 2025, does not currently include 12 May as either a regular or special non-working holiday.