Senator Chiz Escudero on Sunday, March 8 urged private companies to consider adopting the Malacañang-backed four-day onsite workweek or implement staggered work-hour schemes to help mitigate rising fuel costs.
“Acting this early as we anticipate what could possibly happen would strengthen the country’s resilience should the situation worsen,” Escudero said.
He stressed that flexible arrangements can reduce transportation demand, lower operating costs, provide relief to workers, and help ease Metro Manila’s notorious traffic congestion.
The senator pointed out that Congress has long implemented a four-day workweek for its personnel and suggested that extending similar schemes in major business districts—like Makati and Bonifacio Global City—could significantly amplify the benefits of government-led compressed work arrangements.
Escudero cited a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) study showing that traffic congestion in Metro Manila costs the Philippine economy around ₱3.5 billion daily, projected to rise to ₱5.4 billion per day by 2035 if unaddressed.
“If we are losing ₱3.5 billion every single day because of traffic, that means Metro Manila is bleeding roughly ₱105 billion a month and more than ₱1.27 trillion a year,” he said.
The call follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive under Memorandum Circular No. 114, which mandates a temporary four-day workweek for select executive offices, energy conservation measures, and the option for agencies to implement WFH or compressed schedules consistent with Civil Service Commission policies.