MANILA—In a surprising executive order, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has declared April Fools’ Day a regular holiday nationwide.

But don’t be fooled. It is not in recognition of the day of the naive and vulnerable, but rather to commemorate the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

Nevertheless, it will give Filipinos a much-deserved extra day of shopping, beach holiday, or for some, doing their dirty laundry, literally and figuratively!