Barangays to continue 5-day work week

CEBU, Philippines — The Liga ng mga Barangay (LnB) Cebu City Office reaffirmed its commitment to uninterrupted public service by announcing that it will continue to operate on a regular five day workweek schedule, from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In an advisory, LnB-Cebu City, led by its president and ex-officio councilor Franklyn Ong, emphasized that the office remains open on Fridays, stressing its role in providing essential assistance and coordination for barangay officials and stakeholders.

The announcement came after the recent Cebu City Council deliberations over exemptions to the return of the city’s four day work week arrangement.

During the session, Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña questioned whether critical services such as hospitals, libraries, and the 24/7 Mayor’s Night Office would be forced to close under the compressed schedule.

Councilor Dave Tumulak clarified that the executive report already exempted offices whose functions require continuous operation, including health services, disaster risk reduction, public safety, solid waste management, and traffic management.

Councilor Philip Zafra moved to formally request the executive department to include the Mayor’s Night Office and the city library under the exemptions, a motion that was carried without objection.

Liga ng mga Barangay President Franklyn Ong also manifested that his office had submitted a letter to the Mayor seeking exemption, stressing that the LnB provides direct service to barangays and should not be bound by the compressed schedule. The council approved a formal motion to request exemption for the LnB office.

In its advisory, the office assured barangay officials and constituents that “serbisyo nga walay hunong, alang sa matag barangay” remains its guiding principle, reflecting its commitment to grassroots governance and the welfare of Cebuano communities. — /IHM (FREEMAN)