President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that starting March 9, some executive offices will implement a four-day workweek due to rising oil prices from the Middle East crisis. Measures include reducing energy and petroleum use, while coordination continues for aid to Filipinos. Business groups are open to similar arrangements but express concerns for certain sectors.
MANILA, Philippines – On March 6, 2026, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. outlined government preparations against rising oil prices due to the United States and Israel's war on Iran. In his video message, he noted estimated increases of P7.48 per liter for gasoline, P17.28 for diesel, and P32.35 for kerosene.
Starting Monday, March 9, a temporary four-day workweek will be implemented in some executive offices, Marcos said. This excludes providers of emergency or frontline services such as police, firemen, and other essential public services. “On the part of government: Starting Monday, March 9, we will temporarily implement a four-day workweek in some offices under the executive. This does not include those that provide emergency or vital services, such as the police, firemen, and agencies that provide frontline services to the public,” he stated.
He directed all agencies to cut power and petroleum consumption by 10% to 20%. Non-essential travel and activities like study tours, team-building, and meetings that can be virtual are prohibited. He is coordinating with Congress for emergency powers to reduce the excise tax on petroleum if oil prices reach $80 per barrel. This includes pushing to amend the Biofuels Act of 2006 to use cheaper bioethanol.
The government will release fuel subsidies and cash transfers to affected sectors “as soon as possible.” Agencies will monitor commodity prices to prevent profiteering and address the needs of Filipinos in the Middle East.
“Our countrymen, we do not know when the conflict in the Middle East will end. We are victims of a war that we did not choose or want. We cannot control the war. But we can control how we will protect Filipinos,” he added.
As part of the measures, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will implement a flexible work scheme starting March 9 under Memorandum Order 26-886. Non-frontline job order and contract workers will work from home every Friday, with transactions conducted online. Elevator operations, lighting, and air-conditioning in DTI buildings in Makati will run at reduced capacity on Fridays, and shuttle services will rotate. Business groups, including the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, are open to it, but Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. noted it cannot apply to all industries. Similar views came from Donald Lim of the Management Association of the Philippines, Elizabeth Lee of the Federation of Philippine Industries, and Ferdinand Ferrer of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who called for careful design to avoid disruptions in production and supply chains.
On the same day, Marcos spoke by phone with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to express solidarity and confidence in protecting nearly 1 million Filipinos there.
