In complete contrast to the Laoag City government which immediately adopted President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s four-day work week program, the Ilocos Norte provincial government rejected the said schedule as several provincial officials said this would affect the delivery of basic services to the public.

Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Windell D. Chua said during deliberations on whether to adopt the national government policy that the change in office schedule would affect the delivery of basic services to the public since those who would want to do business in the Provincial Capitol would be forced to come earlier or end later as the projected schedule for the four-day work week is from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

According to Chua, the four-day work week office hours are not “client-friendly”.

Chua found an ally in Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) member Eugenio Angelo M. Barba, who also sees the shortened schedule as detrimental to the public.

Earlier, Arroyo signed an Administrative Order shortening the work week of government agencies for April and May to conserve energy. The order however did not cover government agencies rendering frontline services such as the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), health workers and other similar agencies.

The order shortens the work week for covered government employees from Monday to Thursday but requires them to report for work ten hours a day to complete the 40 hours a week of an ordinary five-day work week of eight hours daily.

Leilanie G. Adriano