2018 Long Weekends in the Philippines and the Best Things to Do
Updated Long Weekends in the Philippines
This is not a drill! Brace yourself for 13 long weekends in 2018.
Malacanang Palace has officially declared 10 regular holidays, six (6) special non-working holidays, and two (2) additional non-working days.
Regular Holidays
- New Year’s Day – January 1, 2018, Monday
- Maundy Thursday – March 29, 2018, Thursday
- Good Friday – March 30, 2018, Friday
- Araw ng Kagitingan – April 9, 2018, Monday
- Labor Day – May 1, 2018, Tuesday
- Independence Day – June 12, 2018, Tuesday
- National Heroes Day – August 27, 2018, Monday
- Bonifacio Day – November 30, 2018, Friday
- Christmas Day – December 25, 2018, Tuesday
- Rizal Day – December 30, 2018, Sunday
Special Holidays
- Chinese New Year – February 16, 2018, Friday
- EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary – February 25, 2018, Sunday
- Black Saturday – March 31, 2018, Saturday
- Ninoy Aquino Day – August 21, 2018, Tuesday
- All Saint’s Day – November 1, 2018, Thursday
- Last day of the Year – December 31, 2018, Monday
Non-Working Holidays
- November 2, 2018
- December 24, 2018
Note that Islamic holidays Eid’l Ftr and Eid’l Adha are not yet included. Malacanang Palace will announce these at a later date after it is confirmed according to Hijri or the Islamic Lunar Calendar.
If you haven’t enjoyed any vacay in 2017, then you better plan way ahead to enjoy the coming long weekends.
We have created a calendar of long weekends in 2018 to help you keep track. And as you can see, you just need to take three day leaves to enjoy all of the long weekends.
5 Fun Long Weekend Activities
We listed fun and exciting adventures for the Philippines long weekend 2018.
Join a Workshop
Got a hobby you have been putting off for a long time? Do you want to learn calligraphy, photography, painting, or Photoshop? Then, now is the time to seize the day. Meet new people with the same interests as you.
You can start by searching groups on social media and finding nearby influencers. Learn new things and find other venues to destress once you need to get back to work.
Do Staycation with Friends
Kulayan na ang drawing with beshies.
Instead of out-of-town planning trips, which never became a reality, just do a staycation at home or in the nearest hotel. Get away from daily life’s stressors without actually going away physically. Watch Korean dramas all night, rent a videoke which costs P500 to P700 a day, or do a movie marathon.
You can invite your friends for a night to catch up, unwind and reminisce about your past experiences. There is no need to cook a lot. You can just make a potluck dinner. Anyone can bring any meal or snack. Some of my friends would bring ingredients and cook at my home while we chatted about funny memories. They sometimes share their new recipes too.
Spend Time with Your Family
As a working mom, I usually miss my daughter whenever I go to work. Holidays 2018 Philippines long weekends are God’s gift for me to bond more with her and the rest of the family. There is no need to go out of town since most people will be there, and traffic would be a hassle.
You can just go to the nearest park to do picnics. Pack lunch, snacks, mats, and kid’s toys and head to Luneta Park, Quezon City Memorial Circle, or the Ninoy Aquino’s Park and Wildlife. Spend all day running around or lying on the grass. You can also go to the mall and visit kid’s indoor playgrounds.
Take your kids to Kidzania in Bonifacio Global City, DreamPlay by DreamWorks in Parañaque, and Active Fun in SM City North Edsa.
Have a Personal Project
If you are a busy person, you might have no time to do some tidying up. Well, now is a perfect time. Declutter your home, clean up your fridge to throw away long-forgotten expired food, take out unused clothes, or wipe the cobwebs from the ceilings. If you want, repaint your room to make a fresher ambiance. If you have a car, you can also do some Do-It-Yourself car care.
Fix your screeching gate, build a cabinet, tend the garden, or change the lawn’s landscape slightly. How about making a simple vertical garden, writing an e-book, or blogging about your daily life? There is no limit to your imagination, especially since you have your own time on your hands for a few days.
Volunteer Work
Want to make your long weekend count for others? Volunteer work for a charity. If you are not comfortable being around strangers for a long time, you can just donate your blood to a Philippine Red Cross Chapter. You can join a medical mission if your profession is in the medical line. And no matter who you are or what you do, you can volunteer to pack relief goods, cook in feeding programs, or teach kids in orphanages.
If you don’t know which charity to start with, you can volunteer in non-profit organizations such as Feed the Hungry, Inc., Duterte’s Kitchen, Philippine Red Cross, and ChildHope Philippines. It does not only give you the feeling of great accomplishment to humanity. You can also add your experience to your resume, meet new friends, and touch someone’s life.
Final Thoughts
Long weekends do not have to be spent on expensive out-of-the-town (or country) trips to be memorable. You can do many things to make it count, even without leaving your own home. Take control of your vacation, plan ahead, and enjoy the things you have not done in a long time.
Your working schedules might have gone toxic, but you must not forget that you need some recreation to stay sane. So mark your calendar as early as today! Also, be prepared financially with Cash Mart! Apply for their quick online cash loan now!
