The air in the city hall was thick with the faint, metallic scent of floor wax and the low hum of cooling fans as officials finalized the logistics of the new schedule. There’s been a lot of chatter around Mandaue City lately regarding the four-day work week set to kick off on April 16. Mayor Thadeo Jovito ‘Jonkie’ Ouano’s executive order has folks buzzing, but the city is trying to keep things steady—especially for the Job Order (JO) workers who usually operate on a “no-work, no-pay” basis.
Misryoum reports that the local government is adamant: no one’s pocketbook is going to shrink. Atty. Riczen Gingoyon, the mayor’s executive secretary, was pretty clear about the goal. They aren’t looking to cut corners on the staff, but rather bridge the gap with a hybrid setup. It’s not just a day off; it’s a shift in how the work actually gets done.
To make sure the math works out to a full five-day salary, those Friday hours are being transitioned into remote tasks. We’re talking research, encoding, or budgeting stuff that you can drag home with you. Essentially, you’re paid for five days, but you’re only walking through the office doors for four. It sounds simple enough, but logistically, it’s a bit of a moving target.
Of course, not every department can just shut down on a Friday—or maybe they can, but with some caveats. There will still be a skeletal workforce hovering around to keep the essential gears turning, especially for any revenue-generating services that can’t afford to blink. Some field personnel, like the traffic enforcers, definitely have to show up on-site, regardless of what the calendar says.
It’s a bit of an experiment, really. Department heads are currently putting together their own implementation plans, and there’s a sense that they’re learning as they go. “We’re open to adjusting the system once we see how it plays out,” Gingoyon mentioned, acknowledging that the first few weeks might have a few hiccups. Or maybe it’ll go perfectly—we’ll see. It’s all still under evaluation by the administration, really.