Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro is exploring a four-day workweek in Cebu to enhance productivity, reduce burnout, and improve the well-being of frontliners, public servants, and local businesses.
In a social media post on Friday, Baricuatro highlighted studies showing that shorter, focused workweeks “can maintain or even improve output while giving people more time for family, community, and personal growth.”
She encouraged residents to share their ideas, concerns, or success stories to help guide the province in assessing the feasibility of a shorter workweek.
At the national level, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has reportedly been studying a proposal to adopt a four-day workweek as part of efforts to save energy, particularly amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Malacañang press officer Claire Castro said the President could consider the suggestion if tensions between Israel and Iran persist, although the proposal has not yet been discussed by his Cabinet.
Meanwhile, Pampanga First District Representative Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr., has filed House Resolution No. 843, supporting the proposed adoption of a four-day workweek in government offices to save energy.
Lazatin said his initiative followed President Marcos’ announcement that the proposal is under study.
“With the escalating conflict in the Middle East, countries are now bracing to cushion the impact of the projected oil price increase in the global economy,” he said.
Lazatin drew on his experience as Angeles City mayor from 2019 to 2025, when he implemented a four-day workweek in local government offices.
He clarified that offices delivering basic and health services, disaster preparedness and response, and other essential services were not included in the scheme.
He noted that the initiative contributed to savings in operating expenses.
During the scheme, electricity consumption in city government offices decreased from P9,349,450.13 in 2018 to P8,708,225.90 in 2021, representing a 7 percent savings of P641,224.
A comparative analysis of power consumption from 2019 to 2023 showed that total kilowatts used during those years remained lower than in 2018.
“Base sa personal experience natin bilang Mayor, hindi naman napapabayaan ang trabaho sa four-day work week at mas nakakatipid pa ang gobyerno,” Lazatin said.
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has authorized flexible work arrangements, including compressed workweeks such as the four-day scheme, through Memorandum Circular No. 06, Series of 2022.
Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian previously suggested compressing the traditional five-day workweek into four days or expanding work-from-home arrangements to help ease the burden of rising oil prices.
Photo from Baricuatro’s Facebook
