Labour Day in the Philippines commemorates the 1903 workers' demonstration and honors the contributions of Filipino workers, celebrated with marches, rallies, and community activities, while advocating for continued progress in workers' rights.

When is Labour Day?

Labour Day in Philippines is celebrated every year on May 1.

The following is the list of Labour Day from 2020 to 2049.

The History of Labour Day?

The roots of Labour Day in the Philippines go back to the early 1900s, during the American colonial period. Filipino workers began to organize under the leadership of the Union Obrera Democratica de Filipinas (UODF), the country's first Labour federation, founded by Isabelo de los Reyes and Herminigildo Cruz.

Workers demanded better wages, shorter working hours, and improved Labour conditions, as industrialization and colonial policies often exploited Filipino Labour .

On May 1, 1903, thousands of workers marched from Tondo to Malacañang Palace to demand fair wages and reforms. This was the first large-scale observance of May 1 as a Labour demonstration in the Philippines.

The colonial government suppressed the rally, arresting and jailing some leaders, but it marked the beginning of the organized Labour movement in the country.

In 1908, the Philippine Assembly passed a law officially recognizing May 1 as Labour Day. This made the Philippines one of the first countries in Asia to declare May 1 an official holiday dedicated to workers.

Through the 20th century, workers' rallies and protests on Labour Day became a tradition. Labour groups used the day to push for minimum wage laws, the right to unionize, better working hours, and improved safety standards.

In the 1970s–1980s, under Martial Law, large Labour Day rallies became platforms for broader political dissent against dictatorship and repression.