ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 11 March) — To mitigate the impact of rising fuel costs, the City Government of Zamboanga has implemented a four-day workweek for its employees, effective Wednesday, March 11. Mayor Khymer Olaso signed Administrative Order Number 026-2026 on Tuesday, introducing energy conservation protocols and flexible work arrangements, aligning with Memorandum Circular No. 114 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on March 6. MC 114 promotes strict energy conservation, reducing the energy footprint of government operations and optimizing public resource use amid the Middle East conflict crisis. Marcos encouraged local government units to adopt similar measures tailored to their capacities. Olaso’s order establishes a compressed work schedule, with employees working onsite from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Thursday, and Friday as a non-working day. Essential services personnel, including the Office of the City Mayor, City Health, Disaster Risk Reduction Management, and Environment and Natural Resources, are exempt from this arrangement. Overtime must be justified and requested. The City Human Resource Management Office will reassess travel authorities to ensure necessity and encourage virtual conferences. The order also mandates a 10% reduction in electricity and fuel consumption, optimized route planning, trip consolidation, and preventive maintenance of government vehicles. Fuel prices surged this week due to the Middle East conflict, with diesel priced between ₱81.37 to ₱90.10 and gasoline at ₱71.07 to ₱72.07 at a Shell station. Caltex supervisor Jamir Alkindal noted staggered price increases to ease the financial burden on consumers. Mayor Olaso convened the Local Price Coordinating Council to prevent fuel hoarding and price manipulation, deploying monitoring teams to inspect compliance at fueling stations. (Queenie Casimiro / MindaNews)
