BrokerVA
BrokerVA Team · October 28, 2026

Working With a Filipino Virtual Assistant: Holidays, Communication, and Planning

Working With a Filipino Virtual Assistant: Holidays, Communication, and Planning

Working well with a Filipino virtual assistant comes down to a few practical things: knowing the Philippine holiday calendar, agreeing how you'll communicate, and planning coverage early. Here is the official holiday schedule for this year-end and 2027, plus habits that help any remote team, as part of our guide to Filipino virtual assistants for mortgage brokers.

Which Philippine Holidays Affect U.S. Mortgage Teams This Year-End?

Holidays in the Philippines are set by presidential proclamation. For 2026, that is Proclamation No. 1006, signed September 3, 2025, which the Presidential Communications Office announced. The remaining dates for 2026, as listed in the proclamation, are:

  • November 1 (Sunday): All Saints' Day, a special non-working day
  • November 2 (Monday): All Souls' Day, a special non-working day
  • November 30 (Monday): Bonifacio Day, a regular holiday
  • December 8 (Tuesday): Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a special non-working day
  • December 24 (Thursday): Christmas Eve, a special non-working day
  • December 25 (Friday): Christmas Day, a regular holiday
  • December 30 (Wednesday): Rizal Day, a regular holiday
  • December 31 (Thursday): Last Day of the Year, a special non-working day

Several fall on weekdays when U.S. mortgage teams are busy, and four cluster in the last week of December. That is worth planning for now, particularly if you have closings or fundings scheduled at year-end. Islamic holidays are proclaimed separately once their dates are confirmed.

What About 2027?

The 2027 list is already out. Proclamation No. 1427, signed on September 8, 2026, declares 10 regular holidays, four special non-working days, four additional special non-working days, and one special working day, according to The Manila Times. Eid'l Fitr and Eid'l Adha will be announced separately. The list starts with New Year's Day on Friday, January 1, and includes Maundy Thursday on March 25.

Use the proclamation, or your provider's confirmed calendar, for the exact dates, since they can be adjusted by later proclamation.

What Is the Difference Between Regular and Special Days?

They are different categories under Philippine labor rules, with different pay treatment. As reported on the Department of Labor and Employment's guidelines for 2027, work on a regular holiday is paid at 200% for the first eight hours, and on a special non-working day at 130%. You don't need to manage that yourself, but it explains why providers plan holiday coverage deliberately. Ask your provider how it handles holidays and whether it affects your schedule.

What About U.S. Holidays and Severe Weather?

Ask about both. Your VA may work on U.S. holidays, such as Thanksgiving on November 26, 2026, or may be off, depending on the arrangement. Agree on it in advance, especially around year-end closings.

Severe weather can also disrupt power and internet in some areas of the Philippines. Rather than assume, ask any provider what its contingency is, such as backup connectivity or a covering colleague, and how you would be told if your VA is affected.

How Should You Communicate?

With a few habits that help any remote team, and especially one working across an ocean. These are general good practice, not claims about any group of people.

  • Put instructions in writing, with the purpose, the steps, and a definition of done.
  • Ask for confirmation in their own words, not just "got it," so you can see the task was understood.
  • Make it easy to raise problems. Ask open questions such as "what could go wrong with this?" and respond constructively when someone flags an issue. People speak up more when it's safe to.
  • Give feedback early and specifically, and recognize good work.
  • Agree on response windows and an escalation path, so urgent questions don't wait.
  • Write for a different time zone. Include context, since the reader may start work while you're away. See Can a Filipino Virtual Assistant Work Your Time Zone?

Treat every person as an individual. If you aren't sure how your VA prefers to receive feedback or updates, ask them, and ask your provider what it recommends.

For day-to-day practice, see Managing a Mortgage Broker VA Day to Day and How to Delegate to a Mortgage Broker VA.

What Does Bayanihan Add?

A mindset we try to practice. Bayanihan is a Filipino word for communal unity and cooperation, often pictured as neighbors lifting a house together. In practice, our specialists are encouraged to ask clients one question: how else can I help? And your VA isn't working alone, because the Coaching Team is a message away. We wrote about it in Bayanihan: What a Filipino Tradition Teaches Us About Serving Clients in a Tough Market.

How Do You Plan Coverage Around Holidays?

Early, and in writing. These steps are our recommendations.

  1. Ask for the holiday calendar at the start of each year, and the confirmed dates for any holidays proclaimed later.
  2. List the time-sensitive tasks that fall near those dates, such as disclosures, closings, and fundings.
  3. Name the backup for each one, whether a colleague or another process.
  4. Share your own calendar, including U.S. holidays and your busiest periods.
  5. Confirm the plan a week or two before each holiday cluster, especially in December.
  6. Keep a person reachable for anything that needs a human check, such as verifying wire instructions. See The Human Check on Wire Fraud.

What Should You Ask Any Provider?

  • How are Philippine holidays and U.S. holidays handled, and who covers my files on those days?
  • What is the plan for severe weather, power, or internet disruptions?
  • How will I be told if my VA is unavailable?
  • Who is my point of contact, and what continues after the first few weeks?
  • How is feedback from me passed to the people doing the work?

See Questions to Ask Any Provider About Onboarding and Ongoing Support.

How Does BrokerVA Fit?

BrokerVA's specialists are Philippines-based, organized into five stage-based roles: Setup, Disclosure, Closing, Funding, and Post-Closing, and we may be able to tailor roles to your business. Accountability for the loan stays with you and your licensed people. We haven't published our holiday and coverage policies on this page, so ask us about them directly, and we'll talk them through on a call.

Every client gets a dedicated Coach for a 6-week implementation, who learns your processes, workflows, SOPs, and expectations, followed by ongoing coaching, regular check-ins, and direct access to our Coaching Team for the VA. Our goal is to lower your cost to originate, and pricing is customized to your volume and the roles you need. We can't promise a specific saving, since it depends on your operation. See how BrokerVA works.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Philippine holidays fall in late 2026? November 1 and 2, November 30, December 8, December 24, 25, 30, and 31, under Proclamation No. 1006. Islamic holidays are proclaimed separately.

Is the 2027 holiday list available? Yes. Proclamation No. 1427, signed on September 8, 2026, lists 10 regular holidays, four special non-working days, four additional special non-working days, and one special working day, with Islamic holidays to be proclaimed later.

How should I give feedback to a Filipino virtual assistant? Early, specifically, and in writing, with clear expectations and a way to ask questions. Treat each person as an individual, and ask your VA and your provider what works best.

What should I plan for around year-end? Several Philippine holidays cluster in late December. Ask your provider for the holiday calendar and a backup plan, and confirm coverage for time-sensitive tasks a week or two ahead.

Sources

Want to talk through holiday coverage for your team? Book a call with BrokerVA and we'll walk through your numbers and show you our cost calculator.

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