Tacloban resumes five-day workweek

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TACLOBAN CITY — After more than two months of operating under a compressed four-day workweek aimed at reducing energy consumption, the Tacloban City government will officially return to a regular Monday-to-Friday work schedule beginning May 18.

Mayor Alfred Romualdez announced the resumption of standard office operations through Memorandum Order No. 2026-05-99, ending the city’s work-from-home arrangement every Friday and the compressed workweek scheme that had been in place since March 9.

READ: Northern Samar restores 5-day workweek, keeps energy conservation

The four-day workweek was adopted earlier this year in response to the national government’s call for energy conservation measures amid rising power costs and concerns over electricity supply.

Under the arrangement, city government employees worked longer hours from Monday to Thursday while Fridays were designated for work-from-home or reduced onsite operations.

In a statement issued Friday, May 15, Romualdez said regular office hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, will resume in all city government offices.

“The city government of Tacloban will no longer continue the adopted work-from-home arrangement every Friday and the compressed workweek arrangement. However, we will continue the strict implementation of energy conservation measures across all offices to ensure efficient and uninterrupted delivery of public services for all Tacloban residents,” the mayor said.

Despite the return to the traditional work schedule, Romualdez said the city government would continue enforcing energy-saving practices in government offices.

The decision was welcomed by many City Hall employees who earlier raised concerns over the physical and emotional strain brought about by the compressed workweek setup.

Eden Benusa Reyes, president of the Government Association of Tacloban Employees (GATE), said workers had long hoped for the restoration of the regular work schedule.

“We welcome this decision of the city mayor to return to the old, regular working days. It is actually good for our mental health. Honestly, many of our employees, especially the older ones, have gotten sick,” Reyes said in an interview.

She added that the earlier reporting time and longer working hours under the four-day workweek had affected employees’ health and family life.

“The schedule required employees to report as early as 7 a.m. and return home around 6 p.m., which reduced time for family bonding,” Reyes added.

Tacloban is now the second city in Eastern Visayas, after Borongan City in Eastern Samar, to abandon the compressed workweek arrangement and revert to a regular five-day schedule.

The provincial government of Northern Samar and the municipal government of Abuyog in Leyte have also resumed regular working days after previously implementing similar energy-saving work arrangements. /jpv