DOLE Policy and Program Development Division chief Nicanor Bon (Screengrab from Laging Handa briefing) MANILA - Some 50,000 establishments in the country have complied with the grant of holiday pay to their workers in the first nine months of this year, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said on Thursday. "So, our compliance rate, as far as holiday pay is concerned is high, 97 percent," Nicanor Bon, chief of the DOLE's Policy and Program Development Division, said in a Laging Handa briefing. Meanwhile, he said over 1,400 firms failed to comply with the measure. "Those who failed to comply are at 1,472. So, our data so far on violations on the payment of holiday pay is low," he said. Bon, however, said businesses that fully stopped operations during the community quarantine are exempted from paying holiday pay. He meanwhile, said the public may report to the DOLE offices in their region or they may call the DOLE Hotline 1349, to report establishments that have not paid the holiday pay of their workers. "We have regional offices, provincial offices, satellite [offices], they can go to file a complaint at the nearest DOLE office that has jurisdiction over their jobs. We have a DOLE hotline, they just dial 1349 to consult, to file a complaint on violations by companies. Then you can also ask at the hotline 1349 for the addresses and contact numbers of various regional offices in the Philippines. And then there's also, the DOLE website, www.dole.gov.ph," he added. Among the declared regular holidays this year are New Year's Day (January 1); Labor Day (May 1); Holy Thursday (April 1); Good Friday (April 2); Araw ng Kagitingan (April 9); Independence Day (June 12); National Heroes' Day (August 30); Bonifacio Day (November 30); Christmas Day (December 25); and Rizal Day (December 30). Also earlier declared regular holidays are Eid'l Fitr and Eid'l Adha, Islam's two major holidays that fell on May 13 and July 20 this year, respectively. Under DOLE pay rules during holidays (regular), he or she shall be paid 200 percent of his or her regular salary for that day for the first eight hours [(Basic wage + COLA) x 200 percent], if the employee report to work. For those who did not work, the worker shall be paid 100 percent of his or her salary for that day [(Basic wage + COLA) x 100 percent]. In addition, if the employee worked in excess of 8 hours (overtime work), he or she shall be paid an additional 30 percent of his or her hourly rate on said day (hourly rate of the basic wage x 200 percent x 130 percent x number of hours worked). If the employee worked during a regular holiday that also falls on his or her rest day, he or she shall be paid an additional 30 percent of his or her daily rate of 200 percent [(Basic wage + COLA) x 200 percent] + [30 percent (Basic wage x 200 percent)]. If the employee worked in excess of eight hours (overtime work) during a regular holiday that also falls on his or her rest day, he or she shall also be paid an additional 30 percent of his or her hourly rate on said day (hourly rate of the basic wage x 200 percent x 130 percent x 130 percent x number of hours worked). (PNA) }