Oriental Mindoro Shifts to 4-Day Work Week as Oil Crisis Forces Provinces to Save Fuel

With fuel prices going through the roof thanks to the Middle East crisis, the provincial government of Oriental Mindoro is taking drastic steps — starting Monday, March 9, all employees at the provincial capitol are switching to a four-day work week.

Governor Humerlito "Dolor" Dolor signed Executive Order No. 4 on March 6, compressing the standard 40-hour week into Monday through Thursday shifts running from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The move is designed to cut fuel consumption as oil prices continue their upward spiral amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

The energy-saving measures go beyond just shorter weeks. Air conditioning units can only be switched on 15 minutes before office hours and must be turned off right after — unless absolutely necessary. Garbage collection using government vehicles has been slashed to just twice a week, and all government vehicles are strictly for official use only with proper documentation.

Every vehicle owned by the capitol must be surrendered with its keys at a designated station after office hours every Thursday. The only exceptions are ambulances, disaster response vehicles, and heavy equipment needed for emergencies. Even travel outside the province now requires the governor's written approval.

Oriental Mindoro isn't alone — La Union has also implemented a similar four-day work week starting the same day. As oil prices hover dangerously close to $100 per barrel, expect more LGUs across the country to follow suit. It's a sign of just how deeply the global energy crisis is hitting everyday Filipino life.

Source: Manila Bulletin