MANILA – The Arroyo administration apologized Monday for declaring the Muslim festival of Eid’l Adha on November 27 and 28 as national holidays and then changing the proclamation to say that the holidays will only be observed in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said President Arroyo amended the proclamation after the country’s manufacturing sector appealed the decision.

“We apologize for those who have been inconvenienced by the change. Trade Secretary [Peter] Favila and the Department of Trade and Industry appealed for the change in behalf of the business community to limit the nonworking holiday to the ARMM because of the number of holidays declared for November plus the fact that we are still recovering from the twin tragedies of Ondoy and Pepeng that hit Metro Manila and Luzon,” Remonde told radio dzMM.

He said production has been severely affected by the recent storms as well as the number of holidays declared in October and November.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque announced Friday that Proclamation No. 1808-A, signed by President Arroyo on October 26, amended the earlier Proclamation No. 1808, issued earlier on April 21, 2009, which had declared November 28 and 29 this year as national holidays.

He advised the country’s employers that as a result of Proclamation No. 1808-A, the pay rules for regular holidays will not apply during the said dates except in ARMM.

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