Manila: Private sector workers in Metro Manila will receive 200 percent or double pay of their salaries for working on December 25, Christmas Day. This announcement comes as part of Labor Advisory No. 17, signed by Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma. The advisory states that employees who report for work on Thursday, declared a regular holiday, are entitled to twice their salaries for the day.

According to Philippines News Agency, the advisory specifies that for work done during the regular holiday, employers are required to pay a total of 200 percent of the employee's wage for that day for the first eight hours. The DOLE also clarified that employees working more than eight hours should receive an additional 30 percent of their hourly rate for the extra hours worked.

Furthermore, if an employee works on a regular holiday that coincides with their rest day, the employer must pay an additional 30 percent of the basic wage of 200 percent. For those working overtime on such a day, they are entitled to an additional 30 percent of the hourly rate.

The advisory also covers scenarios where employees do not work on the holiday. In such cases, they would still receive 100 percent of their wage for the day, provided they were present at work or on leave with pay on the day immediately before the holiday. If the preceding day is a non-working day or a rest day, the employee must have reported to work or been on paid leave on the day before that to receive holiday pay.

December 25 is annually declared a regular holiday to allow Filipinos to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ with their families, relatives, and friends.