We all know the days to sit back and relax are over as we journey in to 2024. We enjoyed quite a lot of long weekends in 2023 with several holidays being moved around by proclamations of the president. Unfortunately, this year may not give a handful as some holidays fall on a Wednesday. Unless these will be moved again, then planning your next long weekend might come as just another weekend at home.

Long weekends without the need to file a leave

This 2024, there are four long weekends that will be started off by the Holy Week on March 28 – 31 inclusive of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Black Saturday as well as the remaining Easter Sunday which is technically not a declared holiday. This opener of the long weekend season will be ideal to hit the beaches or even fly to the summer capital of the Philippines, Baguio City.

(Read about an awesome place where you can stay in Baguio here)

The next one will be on August, literally the month where it has been traditionally called “tigkiriwi” for Ilonggos that is known for being the month where money and resources are scarce. Apparently, the Iloilo City Charter Day which happens in August 25 falls on a Sunday. But thankfully, National Heroes Day falls after that, August 26, which adds an extra day for the weekend. For the budget conscious, maybe it is time to give the city a chance and explore unchartered places.

After the August long weekend, we would have to wait until November for the All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day combo. November 1 falls on a Friday, so it is going to be just another typical three-day long weekend. As many people usually go to visit their departed loved ones, this may be an ideal time to also do a quick long-distance vacation (probably a road trip) to somewhere.

The month of December has one five-day long weekend which includes the last weekend of the year plus Rizal Day (December 30), Last Day of the Year (December 31) and the obvious-to-become-a-holiday, New Year’s Day (January 1).

The Exciting Part (Best long weekends requiring to file leave)

Now, it can be disappointing to know that only four long weekends await without the need of filing a vacation leave. But, if you are strategic enough, you can actually get to reward yourself with legit and insanely long holiday that could hypothetically happen once since 1996 (after all, 2024 and 1996 have the same arrangement of days in the calendar).

The first strategic date to file a leave is on April 8, 2024 which falls on a Monday and follows Araw ng Kagitingan (April 9, 2024). This will earn you a four-day long weekend. Excellent to also go and visit places which may require a flight or a ship’s journey.

The next one is far until December 2024. If you’d notice Christmas wasn’t mentioned earlier because apparently December 24 and 25, 2024 are on a Tuesday and Wednesday. Thus, a pesky little Monday (December 23, 2024) needs to be a leave to have that five-day long weekend we all deserve.

12 days of long weekend this 2024?

This 2024, this is the ultimate Christmas gift you can earn. And yes this is so legit! File your vacation leave on December 23 (the one I already mentioned) plus December 26 and 27, 2024. And guess what? You have a full-length 12 days of vacation beginning December 21, 2024 (Saturday) until January 1, 2025 (Wednesday).

That means after your work on December 20, 2024 (Friday), you will have 12 days of non-stop vacation that will hopefully recharge you until you return to the office on January 2, 2025 (Thursday).

Life is all about the balance and with the demands of society, we surely need a break as long as the last one I mentioned with this nice hack. Now get up, file those leaves already and share this with your friends!

Reference for the holidays: https://pco.gov.ph/news_releases/regular-holidays-special-non-working-days-for-2024-bared/