Private sector also urged to implement similar measures
Government agencies in the Philippines have been ordered to implement flexible work arrangements, including four-day work weeks, amid the rising cost of fuel due to the conflict in the Middle East.
The Office of the President has issued a memorandum circular directing all agencies of the national government, including government-owned or controlled corporations, to adopt and implement flexible work as an energy conservation measure.
"The ongoing geopolitical tensions have led to significant volatility in global energy markets, resulting in the rising cost of fuel that impacts the national economy," the circular read.
"There is an urgent need to adopt strict energy conservation measures to reduce the energy footprint of government operations and optimise the use of public resources."
Flexible work arrangements
Under the circular, government agencies are instructed to adopt a four-day working arrangement, either through a compressed work week or a designated common day for working-from-home arrangements.
"This arrangement shall serve as an interim measure, to be continued only until circumstances warrant its modification or discontinuance," the circular read.
Despite the four-day work week implementation, the government maintained that all agencies shall continue the uninterrupted delivery of services.
"Agencies that provide frontline services shall likewise ensure that such services remain unimpeded at all times, notwithstanding the implementation of these protocols," it said.
"Agencies providing essential, basic, and vital services, including those responsible for health, public safety, and emergency preparedness and response, shall remain fully operational at all times.
"These agencies shall ensure the uninterrupted delivery of critical functions and shall implement the Energy Conservation Protocols in a manner that does not impede or compromise their mandated services."
Other energy-saving measures
In addition to alternative work arrangements, the circular also directed government agencies to adopt virtual meetings as the default mode for inter-agency coordination, consultation, conferences, and similar engagements.
Official travel would also be limited to essential and indispensable functions.
"Travel shall be deemed unnecessary when the objectives may be effectively accomplished through alternative modalities, such as virtual meetings, electronic communications, or through the consolidation of tasks with other previously scheduled official activities," it read.
Air-conditioned spaces shall also maintain a standard thermostat setting of 24 degrees Celsius, while minimised elevator use in offices is strongly encouraged.
Other agencies, private sector urged to follow
Meanwhile, the circular also encourages other local government units, constitutional bodies, state universities and colleges, and other government instrumentalities to adopt similar energy conservation measures.
The private sector is also being urged to adopt four-day work weeks or implement staggered work-hour schemes to cushion the impact of fuel price hikes.
Sergio Ortiz-Luis, President of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), said employers are looking at how they can adopt alternative arrangements.
"Each company will have to look at the cost," Ortiz-Luis said in an interview with ANC. "We are trying to look over that and see how we can adopt to that."
He stressed that adjustments to working weeks cannot be implemented as a blanket approach to rising fuel prices, particularly in some industries such as health, media, construction, and manufacturing.
"Fortunately, I don't think it's embedded to be compulsory. So, as long as it's implemented voluntarily for industries, different situations, that's okay."
According to the ECOP president, employers in the Philippines are already concerned about the potential impact of rising fuel prices in the country.
"We're all apprehensive that these rising prices of fuel and electricity will influence other commodities, transport, and the supply chain will be affected. And we don't know what to expect," Ortiz-Luis said.
"We're all waiting and expecting the worst."
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the government is expecting fuel prices to see their "highest jump" on Tuesday, as costs are expected to increase between P17 and P24 this week, ABS-CBN News reported.
Fuel companies, however, have agreed to spread out the implementation of the increase instead of imposing a one-time price hike to cushion the impact on consumers.
Garin said they will try to monitor compliance in gas stations across the country.
"We are trying to police this. The problem is we have 14,000 gas stations. Half of that are independent. So the ones with the big companies are easier to direct, but the independent ones we had to go gas station to gas station," the secretary said.
