Councilor Danny Dayanghirang is advocating for the adoption of a four-day workweek in Davao City as part of the measures in response to rising fuel prices linked to ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
Dayanghirang said on Tuesday that the proposal should be driven by a national directive, urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to consider institutionalizing the policy nationwide.
“It’s the President, national policy, because once the President declares it, the LGUs will follow. As a taxpayer, I am saying, it’s time for the President to call for a four-day work week because it will benefit the Filipino people. All the government functionaries and the private sector must follow,” Dayanghirang said during the Pulong Pulong para sa Dabawenyo media forum.
The proposal comes as fuel costs continue to climb due to global supply uncertainties, prompting calls for cost-cutting measures across both public and private sectors.
However, Councilor Diosdado Mahipus expressed caution, emphasizing the need to prioritize uninterrupted public service delivery and to defer to the executive branch’s assessment.
“In this case right now, I would still rely on the wisdom of the executive officials because we still don’t know where they are right now. The priority of the city, especially the mayor, is to provide services, and we don’t want this kind of situation to hamper the services of the city government to the people. We will also rely on the recommendation and the wisdom of the executive offices because they are the frontline in delivering services to the people,” he added.
The proposal echoes earlier discussions at the national level, where the Marcos administration floated the idea of a four-day workweek for government offices as a fuel-saving measure.
The concept involves extending daily working hours to maintain the required 40-hour workweek while reducing the number of commuting days.
While the proposal has yet to be fully implemented nationwide, it has been revisited periodically amid spikes in oil prices and transportation costs.
Government agencies have also explored alternative work arrangements, including work-from-home and flexible schedules, to ease the burden on employees.
