San fernando: The provincial government of La Union has launched a four-day workweek starting March 9 as a strategy to conserve energy and mitigate the impact of escalating oil prices. Under this new schedule, most provincial offices will operate from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, designating Friday as a non-working day. However, offices providing essential services such as health, disaster response, and security will continue their regular operations to ensure uninterrupted service delivery.

According to Philippines News Agency, a significant number of local government units in La Union, 17 out of 20, have confirmed the adoption of the four-day workweek starting this Monday. Justin Marbella, a supervising administrative officer, stated that these changes are in line with the directive issued by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. last week. The directive calls for government agencies, including local units, to implement energy conservation measures in response to rising global oil prices, which have been influenced by ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

Marbella further mentioned that the local government of Rosario is yet to release the signed memorandum formalizing the change, while San Fernando City and Balaoan are still in the process of providing the necessary information regarding their compliance with the new directive.