Silay, Cauayan revive four-day workweeks amid fuel costs

BACOLOD CITY — Two local government units in Negros Occidental have shifted back to compressed four-day workweeks effective Monday, Oct. 5, amid rising fuel costs and renewed efforts to conserve energy.

In Silay City, Mayor Joedith Gallego issued Executive Order No. 09-29-26-66, series of 2026, adopting flexible work arrangements in all city government offices to ensure the efficient, economical and responsible use of public resources in the delivery of government services.

The order also seeks to reduce building energy consumption and transportation fuel use.

Gallego directed covered government employees to report for work from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday, with Friday designated as a nonworking day.

He stressed that the compressed workweek must still comply with the required 40 working hours per week.

If a holiday or work suspension falls on the designated nonworking day, the work schedule shall be adjusted accordingly.

Offices providing frontline services must ensure that services remain uninterrupted at all times.

Meanwhile, Cauayan Mayor John Rey Tabujara issued Executive Order No. 64, series of 2026, directing covered government employees to report for work from Tuesday to Friday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Monday will be a nonworking day, except for offices and personnel required to provide essential and frontline services.

Tabujara said employees must render 10 hours of work per day, or 40 hours per week, exclusive of the lunch break, in accordance with existing Civil Service Commission laws, rules and regulations.

Personnel whose functions require continuous emergency, security, health, sanitation, social services, disaster response, public safety, market, hospital or other frontline or essential services may be excluded from or placed under a modified implementation of the compressed workweek.

The arrangement is intended to ensure uninterrupted service to the public.

Tabujara said the measure aims to promote efficient government operations, reduce unnecessary energy consumption and transportation-related costs, improve employee welfare and work-life balance, and optimize government resources without compromising essential public services.

The Silay and Cauayan orders cite Memorandum Circular No. 114 issued by the Office of the President on March 6, 2026, which directed government agencies to adopt flexible work arrangements and energy-conservation measures.

Cauayan’s order also cited Civil Service Commission Resolution No. 2600838, promulgated June 18, 2026, which recognized the authority of government agencies to shift work schedules to fewer working days while maintaining the required 40-hour workweek and continuous delivery of government services.

The latest move came after Silay City lifted its previous flexible work arrangement on May 11, while Cauayan restored its regular five-day workweek effective July 1.

The Negros Occidental provincial government, meanwhile, continues to implement a compressed four-day workweek from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday to Friday.

The provincial arrangement took effect March 16, 2026, as part of energy-conservation measures adopted amid rising fuel prices linked to tensions in the Middle East.