The government should let business operators decide whether they want to implement a shorter workweek.

This was the take of Iloilo Business Club (IBC) on the the National Economic and Development Authority’s (NEDA) four-day workweek proposal.

“We uphold the right of the employer to determine what is the best course of action for their employees and their businesses within the bounds of the law, may it be a four-day workweek, a work-from-home set-up or other flexible working arrangements,” it said in a statement.

According to IBC, some industries, such as manufacturing, tourism, hotels and restaurants, and wholesale and retail distributors of basic goods and necessities, must follow the demands of the market and the needs of the people which go beyond the proposed work scheme.

The group said they recognize the wisdom behind adopting a four-day work week to help alleviate the effects of the rising fuel prices and lower energy consumption.

There are businesses and institutions which will find it cost-effective and productive to adopt the said scheme, such as the Iloilo City Government which has recently announced its shift to a four-day work week, it added.

The provincial and city governments of Iloilo are amenable to the recommendation of the NEDA to adopt the said work scheme.

“The city will start [this month] adopting the four-day workweek as suggested by NEDA chief Karl Chua. This will give our employees time to adjust their schedules both in work and in their homes,” said City Mayor Jerry Treñas.

The city government will also be using modern jeepneys for the daily transport of employees from district plazas to the City Hall.

In a press conference, Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said the provincial government has been implementing the four-day workweek scheme since last year due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) health emergency.

Defensor said that during that period, provincial government employees rendered 10 hours of work a day for four days although it was not done simultaneously, so the capitol still operates five days a week.

“We can already do this because it’s in our COVID-19 EO (Executive Order) 175 in the alternative work arrangement provision for government offices. We can do that because we are under Alert Level 2. We can implement that for both COVID-19 reason and oil price hike,” he said.IMT