In October 2024, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. issued Proclamation No. 729 declaring the founding anniversary of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) on July 27th 2025 as a special non-working day nationwide.
The proclamation was issued to give members of Iglesia Ni Cristo the full opportunity to participate in the occasion.
"Now, therefore, I, Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby declare Sunday, 27 July 2025, a special (non-working) day throughout the country," the President said in Proclamation 729.
About the INC
Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) is an independent nontrinitarian Christian church, founded in 1913 and registered by Felix Y. Manalo in 1914 as a sole religious corporation of the Insular Government of the Philippines.
INC describes itself to be the one true church and the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus, whereby all other Christian churches are apostate.
According to INC doctrine, the official registration of the church with the Philippine government was on July 27th 1914, by Felix Y. Manalo—who is upheld by members to be the last messenger of God—was an act of divine providence and the fulfillment of biblical prophecy concerning the re-establishment of the original church of Christ in the Far East concurrent with the coming of the seventh seal marking the end of days.
By the time of Manalo's death in 1963, INC had become a nationwide church with 1,250 local chapels and 35 cathedrals.
As his successor, Manalo's son, Eraño G. Manalo, led a campaign to grow and internationalize the church until his death on August 31th 2009. His son, Eduardo V. Manalo, succeeded him as Executive Minister. The 2020 Philippine census reported that 2.8 million were adherents of the INC, placing it third behind the Roman Catholic Church and Islam
