PRIVATE FIRMS URGED: ADOPT 4-DAY WORKWEEK

SEN. Francis Escudero on Sunday urged private companies to consider adopting the Malacanang-backed four-day onsite workweek or implement staggered workhour schemes as the country braces for the impact of higher fuel prices and possible supply disruptions amid the ongoing tension in the Middle East.

- RAYMOND AFRICA

In a statement, Escudero said flexible work arrangements can help reduce transportation demand, lower operating costs, provide workers with added relief as global oil markets remain volatile, and reduce billions of pesos in lost opportunities every day due to traffic congestion.

"Acting this early as we anticipate what could happen would strengthen the country's resilience should the situation worsen," Escudero said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said the Executive branch will temporarily implement a four-day workweek scheme starting today, Monday, as part of energysaving measures amid the continuing conflict in the Middle East.

The President, in a video message, said the war in the Middle East is beyond the country's control.

"We are victims of a war that we did not choose or desire. We do not control the war, but we control how we protect the Filipino people," Marcos said.

He assured the public that the government has contingencies in place to cushion the impact of the war, especially in terms of ensuring petroleum supply. He said among these is the four-day work week in some agencies under the Executive branch, except offices and personnel that render frontline and emergency services, such as the police and firemen.

The Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC) on Sunday expressed support for a four-day workweek in the private sector.

Escudero said Congress has long implemented a four-day workweek for its personnel even as he suggested that extending similar schemes more broadly could help reduce fuel consumption, save energy, and ease traffic congestion.

He added that private sector participation will significantly amplify the benefits of the government's temporary shift to a compressed work arrangement, especially in major business districts like Makati City and Bonifacio Global City.