Marcos Says He'll 'Study' Making February 25 a Permanent Holiday — But Don't Hold Your Breath

Will February 25 ever become a real holiday? That's the question na binubukasan ni President Marcos Jr. after Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the President is open to studying proposals to declare the EDSA People Power anniversary a regular non-working holiday every year. But 'open to studying' and 'actually doing it' are two very different things, as Filipinos know all too well.

The proposal comes from House Bill No. 8028, filed by Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila De Lima and other LP members, seeking to declare February 25 as the 'EDSA People Power Revolution Day' — a regular holiday nationwide. Castro confirmed the bill hasn't reached the President's desk yet, so there's no commitment to sign it.

Malacañang did acknowledge the significance of the 1986 revolution, with Castro saying, 'Hindi ito mabubura sa history' — it won't be erased from history, including the bravery of Filipinos who stood up during those four days on EDSA. But notably, Marcos himself has not released any official message for the 40th anniversary commemoration.

This is a sensitive topic for the Marcos family, to say the least. The EDSA revolution ousted the current president's father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. Since taking office, the younger Marcos has consistently avoided declaring February 25 as a holiday — in 2023, he even moved the commemoration to February 24, a Friday, citing 'holiday economics.'

For 2026, the DOLE already confirmed that February 25 is just a 'special working day' — meaning no extra pay, no holiday premium, and a simple no-work-no-pay policy applies. Whether Marcos ever signs the bill into law remains to be seen, but history buffs shouldn't cancel their leave applications just yet.

Source: GMA News Online