TACLOBAN CITY — The Northern Samar provincial government has reinstated a hybrid work arrangement for eligible employees as part of its cost-cutting measures amid rising fuel prices and electricity costs.
Governor Harris Ongchuan signed Executive Order No. 26-07-01 on July 27, requiring covered provincial government employees to report onsite from Monday to Thursday and work from home every Friday. The policy applies to regular employees, contract of service workers, and job order personnel whose duties can be performed remotely.
The executive order also directs government offices to adopt energy-saving measures, including limiting air-conditioning use and implementing other electricity conservation practices to reduce operating expenses.
Ongchuan said the policy, first introduced in April this year, is intended to help employees cope with higher transportation costs while enabling the provincial government to manage its operational expenditures without affecting productivity and public service.
The governor clarified that offices providing essential services, including provincial hospitals, jail facilities, and the Civil Security Office, will continue operating on regular work schedules. Other frontline offices will implement skeleton workforces and shifting schedules to ensure uninterrupted delivery of government services.
The provincial government said the flexible work arrangement is part of its efforts to promote efficient governance, prudent resource management, and sustainable public service amid increasing operational costs.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
