The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Thursday disclosed that it will recommend to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that all national government agencies (NGAs) adopt a 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. work schedule.

In a statement, the MMDA said that the recommendation aims to address heavy traffic congestion in the metropolis, following the positive impact observed in local government units (LGUs) that have already implemented adjusted working hours.

MMDA chairperson Atty. Don Artes stated that this is one of their considerations for their recommendation to the President as he stressed that LGUs that have adjusted their working hours have seen substantial improvements in travel time, benefiting both employees and vehicles.

To recall, the Metro Manila Council (MMC), the governing body of the MMDA comprised of 17 Metro Manila mayors, passed a resolution in April 2024 mandating the adjustment of working hours for LGUs from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The resolution recognized that the traditional 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. work schedule for government officers aligns with the standard working hours of private companies, thereby contributing significantly to traffic congestion in Metro Manila.

Artes explained that this adjusted schedule would significantly benefit public transportation.

“Imagine, there are 500,000 employees who would avoid commuting during peak hours,” said Artes, adding that the recommendation needs to be finalized before the start of the EDSA rehabilitation project.

During the MMDA council meeting, a report revealed that an estimated 223,508 government employee commuters who rely on public transportation would avoid the morning rush hour by shifting their work schedule.

The data also indicated that 37.15 percent of the over 473,500 national government employees in Metro Manila utilize private vehicles during rush hour.