4-Day Workweek Na! Marcos Orders Shorter Gov't Work Schedule Starting Monday
Starting this Monday, March 9, government employees under the executive branch will be working just four days a week. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Memorandum Circular No. 114 ordering the temporary compressed workweek as a direct response to the global oil price crisis triggered by the Middle East conflict.
The move is designed to slash government electricity and fuel consumption, with agencies ordered to cut usage by 10% to 20%. Unnecessary government travel has been banned, and officials are being directed to hold meetings within office premises or virtually. It's a clear signal that Malacañang is taking the energy crisis seriously.
But before you think everything shuts down — essential services are exempted. The Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, frontline health workers, and other emergency service providers will continue their regular schedules. The circular will remain in effect until the President decides to lift or revoke it.
The decision comes as industry experts warn that diesel prices could spike by as much as P20 per liter next week. Marcos held a special cabinet meeting earlier this week to discuss not just fuel prices but also the repatriation of overseas Filipinos in the Middle East and the broader impact of the war on Philippine inflation and economic stability.
Each agency must now formulate internal guidelines to monitor attendance and maintain performance standards following Civil Service Commission rules. Whether this becomes a long-term arrangement or just a temporary fix depends on how the global oil situation unfolds. For now, it's official — shorter work weeks para makatipid ang gobyerno.
Source: The Manila Journal
