Mandaue government now back to five-day workweek

MANILA, Philippines — The skeletal workforce arrangement at Mandaue City Hall has officially ended after Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano lifted the four-day workweek policy yesterday, May 15, 2026.

According to Mayor Ouano, returning to a regular five-day work schedule is more convenient for constituents who need to access city government services.

“Mas convenient man gud sa katawhan, atong mga constituents katong the regular days nga up to Friday ang work schedule nato,” said Ouano.

He added that fuel prices have improved, which he believes makes it better for the city government to return to normal operations.

“Nag normalize naman sad ang atong gas ug diesel prices karon,” Ouano said.

Ouano said that based on the feedback he received, a five-day workweek is more convenient than a four-day arrangement, especially for the transacting public.

Despite the return to the standard workweek, the mayor said the city government will continue implementing conservation and energy-saving initiatives.

These include reducing fuel consumption for government vehicles and ensuring that lights and air-conditioning units in City Hall offices are turned off when no one is present.

Mayor Ouano also said he has requested data from the City Administrator’s Office to determine the difference in savings between the four-day and five-day workweek arrangements.

City Administrator Gonzalo “Sally” Malig-on Jr. said they are still consolidating reports from department heads to assess the difference in expenses between the four-day and five-day work schedules.

However, Malig-on said that regardless of whether the savings are significant or minimal, the city government’s decision prioritizes public service and ensures that offices remain fully staffed for normal operations.

“Mao man nay mas dako nga consideration nga normal ang operation para naa gyud ang mga tao, naay mga tao sa opisina, mas more on that. Whether unsa ka dako ang savings ikaduha nana nga rason,” said Malig-on.

A month ago, on April 17, the Mandaue City government implemented a four-day workweek following the continued increase in fuel prices brought about by the conflict in the Middle East.

Under the arrangement, Fridays were designated as work-from-home days.