Philippine Labor Day 2012

Philippine Labor Day 2012, Image by DOLE

Once again, Filipinos will be celebrating the annual Labor Day on May 1, Tuesday. To date, President Noynoy Aquino hasn't released any announcements yet on whether the holiday will be moved on April 30 which is a Monday.


So why May 1? 


It actually originated on May 1, 1886 in the United States when American workers fought for an eight (8) hour workday instead of their usual 10, 12 or 14 hours a day. It ended up with a riot, killing a significant number of policemen and demonstrators alike in its wake. The good news was, the proposed eight hour workday was eventually approved.


In the Philippines however, the first labor day took place on May 1, 1903 where  about 100,000 demonstrators flocked in front of Malacañang where William Howard Taft was residing. Aside from the fight against imperialism, they also expressed their demand for better working conditions.


For more info, you may visit Dept. of Labor and Employment's official website on dole.gov.ph or check-out their Facebook fan page here. For the Labor Day history, you may check-out WikiPilipinas.