--- title: "#Panama 🇵🇦 #BDS_Informs: Proper Payment of the January 9 Public Holiday" description: January 9 image: https://publicaciones.bdsasesores.com/hubfs/Screenshot_3.png --- [![BDS blanco ingles](https://publicaciones.bdsasesores.com/hs-fs/hubfs/BDS%20blanco%20ingles.png?width=100&height=50&name=BDS%20blanco%20ingles.png "BDS blanco ingles")](https://www.bdsasesores.com) - [Team](https://www.bdsasesores.com/en/team/) - [Services](https://www.bdsasesores.com/en/services/) - Blog - [Labor Law](https://publicaciones.bdsasesores.com/en-us/blog) - [Corporate Law](https://publicaciones.bdsasesores.com/apriori-blog?hsLang=en-us) - [Store](https://www.bdsasesores.com/en/tienda/) - [Contact](https://www.bdsasesores.com/en/contact/) - English - [English](https://publicaciones.bdsasesores.com/blog?hsLang=en-us) - [Español](https://publicaciones.bdsasesores.com/blog?hsLang=es-cr) ![](https://publicaciones.bdsasesores.com/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Theme-Delight%20BDS%20Asesores/images/logo-BDS-blanco-jul25.png?width=200&name=logo-BDS-blanco-jul25.png) ##### Jan 22, 2026 10:00:00 PM ##### 1 min. read #Panama 🇵🇦 #BDS\_Informs: Proper Payment of the January 9 Public Holiday 2:08 # #Panama 🇵🇦 #BDS\_Informs: Proper Payment of the January 9 Public Holiday **January 9, 1964** remains a day of **struggle, sacrifice, and national unity** for Panamanians. It is one of those moments in which the history of Panama cannot be understood without placing youth at the center of the narrative. Young students were the main players in a national movement that forever transformed the relationship between Panama and the United States and paved the way toward reclaiming the Canal. At that time, under the Chiari–Kennedy Agreement, the Panamanian flag was to fly alongside the United States flag at civilian sites within the Canal Zone; however, this was not being complied with. As a result, a group of students from the Instituto Nacional attempted to raise the Panamanian flag at Balboa High School, within the then Canal Zone. What began as a student protest escalated into an unequal confrontation that ended with the intervention of U.S. forces and clashes between civilians from both countries, leaving 21 Panamanians dead—many of them students—and hundreds injured. Notwithstanding the above, thanks to the sacrifice of the martyrs, on December 31, 1999, Panama finally regained full control over its Canal. **January 9 was declared a** **National Day of Mourning** by Law No. 13 of 1967, and later, through Law No. 118 of 2013, which replaced the prior law, it retained its status as a day of national mourning, was designated as the “Day of National Sovereignty,” and was expressly prohibited from being transferred to another date (bridge holiday). January 9, popularly known as **“Martyrs’ Day,”** is established as a **mandatory paid rest day** due to national mourning under Article 46 of the Labor Code. If an employee works on that day, they must be compensated with a 150% surcharge over the ordinary workday, meaning two and a half times pay (ordinary wage plus surcharge), and must also be granted one compensatory day off. If the compensatory rest day is not granted, an **additional 50% surcharge** over the ordinary workday must be paid.    [![I have a question](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/6302490/b09e136c-59db-46ae-bb16-f7b6bb7d7ffa.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/6302490/b09e136c-59db-46ae-bb16-f7b6bb7d7ffa) [« Volver](https://publicaciones.bdsasesores.com/blog?hsLang=en-us) [Human Resources](https://publicaciones.bdsasesores.com/en-us/blog/tag/human-resources), [Labor Law](https://publicaciones.bdsasesores.com/en-us/blog/tag/labor-law), [Legal Talent Hub](https://publicaciones.bdsasesores.com/en-us/blog/tag/legal-talent-hub), [Littler Latin America](https://publicaciones.bdsasesores.com/en-us/blog/tag/littler-latin-america) ## Otros artículos #### #Panamá 🇵🇦 #BDS\_MigrationAlert: Panamanian Citizens and Foreign Residents Can Now Use the Digital ID Card In an effort to modernize systems and streamline processes in Panama, the Electoral Tribunal... #### #Panama 🇵🇦 #BDS\_LaborAlert: Law Enacted Creating the Internship Program in Panama **Law No. 513 of March 20, 2026** has recently been enacted, establishing an **Internship Program in...** #### #Panamá 🇵🇦 #BDS\_LaborAlert: Japan Exempts Panamanian Citizens from Visa Requirement In commemoration of the 120th anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and the Republic of... ![BDS-color-ingles-130](https://publicaciones.bdsasesores.com/hubfs/BDS-color-ingles-130.png) #### Subscribe here! 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