City Hall resumes 5-day work week

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu City government has resumed the traditional five-day work week starting this week, ending a month-long experiment with a compressed schedule that required employees to report from Monday to Thursday.

Mayor Nestor Archival confirmed the decision in a press conference on Monday, saying the four-day arrangement officially concluded in April.

“No more. Actually, the four-day work nahuman pagka April,” he said, noting that while initial reports showed reductions in electricity and water consumption, later data raised questions about its sustainability.

The compressed schedule was first implemented on April 6, 2026, through Executive Order No. 069, requiring employees to work from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Mondays to Thursdays, to complete the mandated 40-hour work week.

Adopted from directives issued by Malacañang, the measure was introduced as part of conservation efforts, with early assessments showing utility costs dropping during the first two weeks.

“Ang atong consumptions sa kuryente, ninaog. Ang atong consumption sa tubig, ninaog for the first two weeks,” Archival said.

However, he added that water usage rose again by the third week, prompting concerns about possible leaks or system inefficiencies.

“That’s why gusto nako mahibaw-an if this is something nga leaking, or nay diperensya sa atong system,” he said.

Archival also disclosed that he had spoken with City Treasurer Emma Villarete, who cautioned against drawing conclusions too quickly. She pointed out that certain offices, such as the City Treasurer’s Office, never ceased operations due to their critical role in revenue collection.

Likewise, the city’s 24/7 Government Service Hub at IT Park continued to operate without interruption. Revenue data, he said, remains inconclusive.

“Right now, we cannot determine if nisaka o nanaug,” Archival said.

With these mixed findings, the mayor said Cebu City would revert to the regular five-day schedule.

He emphasized that while the compressed work week provided valuable insights into energy and resource management, the city must now focus on ensuring consistent service delivery and accurate monitoring of consumption patterns.The final assessment of the pilot program—combining utility data and revenue reports—is expected to guide future decisions on whether Cebu City will revisit the four-day work week as a permanent policy. (CEBU NEWS)