PBBM OPEN TO DISCUSSIONS TO ALLOW FOUR-DAY WORKWEEK IN GOV’T TO SAVE ENERGY

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is open to exploring a four-day workweek in government offices as an energy-saving measure amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, a Malacañang official said Wednesday.

“Sa ngayon po ay maaaring pag-aralan po ng Pangulo ang ganyang suhestiyon lalo na kung magiging malala pa po ang nangyayaring Israel-Iran issue,” Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said during a press briefing in Malacañang.

“Sa ngayon po ay hindi pa po ito napag-uusapan,” Castro added.

On Tuesday, President Marcos directed national government offices to conserve energy amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East and encouraged local government units and the public to adopt similar energy-saving measures.

President Marcos also appealed to the public to conserve energy by reducing overall consumption, expressing optimism that the conflict in the Middle East will not persist for an extended period, and reiterating the government’s commitment to implementing measures to cushion its potential impact on the country.

President Marcos also assured the public that the government has implemented several measures to mitigate the potential impact on the Philippine economy.

At the President’s direction, the Inter-Agency Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee (IAEECC) has issued an advisory outlining measures to save energy amid ongoing Middle East tensions.

The Advisory to national government agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), state universities and colleges (SUCs), and local government units (LGUs), “enjoining all government entities to reduce fuel consumption by at least ten percent (10%).