Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has approved the implementation of a four-day work week for the Negros Occidental provincial government.
The move is intended to help mitigate the impact of expected hikes in fuel prices driven by escalating tensions in the Middle East, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said on Friday, May 6.
The specific details and the official start date for this new schedule are currently being finalized, Diaz said.
The transition could result in 10-hour work days for employees, Diaz said..
This local initiative aligns with a broader national directive.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered the temporary implementation of a four-day work week for select government offices under the executive branch, effective March 9.
The directive is a key component of the government’s contingency measures to address the domestic impact of the ongoing Middle East crisis.
“For the government’s part: starting Monday, March 9, we will temporarily implement a four-day work week in some offices of the executive branch,” Marcos announced in a video message.
The President clarified that agencies providing emergency or essential services—such as the police, firefighters, and offices handling frontline public services—are not covered by the shortened work week.
In addition to the scheduling shift, Marcos has prohibited unnecessary government travel and activities.
This includes study tours, team-building exercises, and meetings that can be effectively conducted online.
He also renewed his call for all government agencies to conserve resources, specifically targeting a reduction in electricity consumption and petroleum expenses by 10 to 20 percent.
The president also instructed the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Migrant Workers, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to maintain close coordination to assist Filipinos currently in Gulf nations.
“The process of evacuating Filipinos who wish to be repatriated has already begun,” Marcos said. “Once travel is safe, we will ensure that everyone who wants to return home is evacuated”.*
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