Article by:
Connie Calipay
LEGAZPI CITY – Several local government units and national government agencies in Albay have started implementing a four-day workweek, following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive aimed at conserving energy and fuel, officials announced.
The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development in Bicol (DHSUD-5) announced an alternative work arrangement starting Monday, with office operations from Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., for regular transactions. On Fridays, a skeletal workforce will handle frontline services and other essential functions from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Similarly, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau Bicol Region (EMB-5) adopted a flexible work schedule, with full on-site operations from Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Its public assistance and complaints desk will be open Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Guinobatan, Albay Mayor Ann Gemma Ongjoco said a four-day workweek scheme took effect Monday, with prescribed working hours from Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are non-working days, but emergency, social, and frontline services will continue operating.
Meanwhile, the Legazpi City government is finalizing plans for a four-day workweek for employees, with work-from-home arrangements on Fridays under consideration, Mayor Hisham Ismail said in an interview.
"The measure aims to reduce electricity, water, and fuel consumption in city operations," he said.
Ismail said the proposal is under review to ensure the required 40-hour workweek is met, with options of 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. or 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily for four days.
"If we finalize the four-day work week with work-from-home on Fridays, the city government can save at least one day in terms of electricity and fuel consumption," he added.
Essential offices, including the City Health Office, Legazpi City Hospital, Public Safety Office, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and Quick Response Team, will be exempted to ensure continuous public service.
The city is also encouraging offices to consolidate documents before delivery to optimize fuel use.
President Marcos ordered the temporary implementation of a four-day workweek in some government offices starting March 9, in response to the impact of the Middle East crisis. (With a report from Ella Mariz Miña,OJT/PNA)
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