‘7-to-4’ gov’t work hour proposal backed

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday supported the recommendation of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to shift government working hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“We’re studying it. If it works, we’ll do it,” Marcos told reporters in a chance interview.

On 16 January, the MMDA announced that it would recommend to the President that national government agencies adopt a 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. work schedule, replacing the current 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. setup, to alleviate traffic congestion in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The proposal was discussed with members of the Metro Manila Council, which includes the mayors of Metro Manila cities. According to the MMDA, the proposal was based on a study by its Assistant General for the Planning Office and Traffic Engineering Center. The agency also noted that the modified work schedule has already been implemented by both the MMDA and several local government units within Metro Manila.

This proposal aligns with the planned rehabilitation of EDSA, which is set to begin later this year.

While President Marcos is open to the idea, he emphasized that the commuting public must be consulted before the policy is implemented.

“It’s not enough to consult only traffic enforcers and administrators who suggested it. We also need to ask the commuting public if this is practical for them,” he said. “If it turns out that everyone agrees to it, then I don’t see why it would be a problem,” he added.