MANILA — Filipinos can look forward to at least eight long weekends in 2026, according to the official list of holidays released by Malacañang under Proclamation No. 1006.

The proclamation outlines both regular and special non-working holidays for the year, several of which fall close to Saturdays and Sundays, creating extended breaks for workers and students.

Here are the long weekends for 2026:

• January 1 (Thursday) – New Year’s Day; filing leave on January 2 (Friday) creates a four-day weekend until January 4.
• February 17 (Tuesday) – Chinese New Year; filing leave on February 16 (Monday) extends the weekend from February 14 to 17.
• April 2 to 5 (Thursday to Sunday) – Holy Week.
• April 9 to 12 (Thursday to Sunday) – Araw ng Kagitingan.
• May 1 to 3 (Friday to Sunday) – Labor Day.
• June 12 to 14 (Friday to Sunday) – Independence Day.
• August 29 to 31 (Saturday to Monday) – National Heroes Day.
• November 28 to 30 (Saturday to Monday) – Bonifacio Day.
• December 25 to 27 (Friday to Sunday) – Christmas.
• December 30 to January 1 (Tuesday to Thursday) – Rizal Day leading into New Year’s Day 2027.

Malacañang noted that additional special non-working days may still be declared later in the year, depending on national events and observances.

The announcement is expected to help families, workers, and businesses plan ahead for vacations, reunions, and other activities. Travel and tourism groups also welcomed the schedule, saying long weekends traditionally boost domestic tourism and local economies.

Long Weekends, Minus the Pressure

Long weekends should feel like a gift, not a challenge.

Not every break needs a plane ticket, a hotel booking, or a packed itinerary. Rest does not have to be expensive to be real. Sometimes it is sleeping in without guilt, sharing a slow meal at home, catching up on a series, or finally spending an afternoon with family without watching the clock.

There is also value in staying put. Local parks, neighborhood walks, free community events, and simple home gatherings count as rest. They always have. The pressure to “make the most” of every long weekend often turns breaks into another source of stress.

What matters is permission. Permission to pause. Permission to unplug. Permission to rest without spending and without explaining why.

Long weekends are a reminder that life should not be all grind and obligation. They invite Filipinos to breathe, reset, and care for themselves in ways that fit their reality.

Rest is not laziness. It is maintenance.

If more people can use these breaks to slow down without guilt, then long weekends will have done exactly what they are meant to do.