It's only the second week of January but it's never too early to start planning your vacations for the rest of the year. According to the statement released by the Malacañang Palace last August, we will be enjoying a total of 19 regular holidays and special (non-working) days this 2019 (with two dates to still to be declared), offering us 10 possible long weekends.

Get your calendars ready because we will give you a rundown of the 2019 long weekends (with leave suggestions), and later suggest how you can make the most of your days off from work and/or school.

January

Tuesday, January 1 — New Year's Day
Long weekend: Saturday, December 28 to Tuesday, January 1

February

Tuesday, February 5 — Chinese New Year
Long weekend: Saturday, February 2 to Tuesday, February 5
Leave suggestion: Monday, February 4

Monday, February 25 — EDSA Revolution Anniversary
Long weekend: Saturday, February 23 to Monday, February 25

April

Tuesday, April 9 — Araw ng Kagitingan
Long weekend: Saturday, April 6 to Tuesday, April 9
Leave suggestion: Monday, April 8

Holy Week
Thursday, April 18 — Maundy Thursday
Friday, April 19 — Good Friday
Saturday, April 20 — Black Saturday
Long weekend: Thursday, April 18 to Sunday, April 21

June

Tuesday, June 4 — Eidl Fitr (to be confirmed)*
Long weekend: Saturday, June 1 to Tuesday, June 4
Leave suggestion: Monday, June 3

August

Monday, August 26 — National Heroes’ Day
Long weekend: Saturday, August 24 to Monday, August 26

November

Undas
Friday, November 1 — All Saints’ Day
Long weekend: Friday, November 1 to Sunday, November 3

December

Christmas
Tuesday, December 24 — Special non-working day
Wednesday, December 25 — Christmas Day
Long weekend: Saturday, December 21 to Wednesday, December 25
Leave suggestion: Monday, December 23

New Year's Day
Monday, December 30 — Rizal Day
Tuesday, December 31 — Special non-working day
Wednesday, January 1 — New Year's Day
Long weekend: Saturday, December 28 to Wednesday, January 1

*The holidays for Eid’l Fitr, as well as Eid’l Adha, are to be confirmed and will be declared by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos after determining the approximate or actual dates for these days.

Here are some suggestions on what you can do during these holidays:

General House Cleaning and Home DIY Projects
Staying at home would be a good idea as most residents would probably be going for that out-of-the-country vacation. Take this free time as a chance to finally do your general house cleaning or pursuing that DIY project with your family—not only is it a good bonding experience, you will have a clean and beautiful house when work creeps back. That feeling of productivity and fulfillment is just a bonus.

Explore the City
Long weekends usually turn busy business districts in cities into ghost towns because everybody has the same idea of travelling abroad or to local out-of-town destinations. What better way to enjoy the traffic- and hassle-free metro than stopping by restaurants and stores you've been meaning to go to?

Discover New Nearby Towns
If you are really craving for an adventure away from the usual offered by the city, taking a road trip to a nearby town with family and/or friends might do the trick for you. Aside from the nature- and adrenaline-filled Rizal, historical Bataan, and gastronomic Tagaytay, you may also want to check out the likes of Bulacan, Laguna, La Union, Pampanga, Quezon, and Batangas—each providing a unique experience altogether.