SANTO DOMINGO – In a definitive administrative declaration, the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Labor has confirmed that the national holiday honoring founding father Juan Pablo Duarte will be strictly observed on its fixed calendar date of Monday, January 26, 2026, with no provision for a movable long weekend.
The official communiqué from the ministry explicitly stated that the workforce is mandated to resume normal operations on Tuesday, January 27. This directive, grounded in the nation’s Holiday Act (Law 139-97), is binding for all commercial enterprises and public sector institutions across the country without exception.
Furthermore, the ministry issued a critical reminder to the business community regarding compensation protocols for holiday work. Citing Article 205 of the overarching Labor Code (Law 16-92), the announcement stipulates that any labor conducted on this statutory holiday, or any other official day of rest, obligates employers to provide remuneration at double the standard rate. This enforcement of a 100% wage surcharge ensures employees receive twice their regular daily pay for hours worked on January 26.