NEDA Secretary Proposes 4-Day Work Week to Alleviate Increasing Costs Due to Oil Price Hike

The country’s chief economist has proposed on Tuesday, March 15, a shorter workweek to alleviate costs and conserve energy as global oil prices continue to rise due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua, who is also the head of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), suggested to the government during President Rodrigo Duterte’s Talk to the People Address on March 15 that a four-day work week will help the Filipino people save money.

He also mentioned that instead of increasing the minimum wage and fare, which could result in higher inflation, the government should conserve energy and provide relief and unconditional cash transfers. He laid out three recommendations during the address.

“First is to focus on relief in a targeted manner to vulnerable sector. Second provide unconditional cash transfer which we have already done under TRAIN (Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion) law,” Chua said.

“The third, Mr. President, our proposal is to try to conserve energy and one example is the four-day work week,” he added. “Every Filipino will continue working for 40-hours per week but instead of five days, it will be four days. Instead of eight hours, it will be 10 hours per day.”

According to Chua, the country already did this in 1990 during the Gulf War and in 2008 when fuel prices skyrocketed. He explained further that limiting the number of working days is a more sensible approach that would help manage the economy as well.