4-day workweek has its own setbacks–experts By Justine Xyrah Garcia
T
HE country’s push to improve its ease of doing business could face setbacks as the public sector shifts to a fourday workweek, with economists warning that the compressed schedule may complicate transactions between businesses and government offices. The concern comes as several government agencies began implementing a four-day workweek this week, following a directive by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to adopt the compressed schedule as part of efforts to conserve energy
POWER FROM THE SUN Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto and Tanauan Mayor Nelson Sonny Collantes (white polo) join First Gen President and CEO Francis Giles Puno (left) at the groundbreaking ceremony and capsule laying at Inara Solar Power Project in Tanauan, Batangas, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. Also in photo are First Gen executives provincial city hall officials. Story in B1 Companies. BERNARD TESTA/BM
ROTARY CLUB OF MANILA JOURNALISM AWARDS
2006 National Newspaper of the Year 2011 National Newspaper of the Year 2013 Business Newspaper of the Year 2017 Business Newspaper of the Year 2019 Business Newspaper of the Year 2021 Pro Patria Award PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY 2018 Data Champion
and reduce fuel consumption amid rising global oil prices triggered by tensions in the Middle East. Former Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Dante B. Canlas said the arrangement may prove disruptive, particularly if the private sector continues operating on the traditional five-day workweek. “The private sector has many dealings with [government], such as, matters of regulation and other forms of legal and soft capital that the government is in charge of. Taking out one day over transactions like those results in inefficient outcomes,” Canlas told the BusinessMirror.
Under Memorandum Circular No. 114, series of 2026, national government agencies, governmentowned or -controlled corporations (GOCCs), local government units (LGUs), constitutional bodies, state universities and colleges, and other government instrumentalities are directed to adopt flexible work arrangements to help reduce building energy load and transport fuel consumption. Government employees may either compress their standard 40hour workweek into four days or adopt a hybrid arrangement where one day is spent working from home, depending on the agency.
Malacañang has clarified that agencies delivering “essential, basic, and vital” services must ensure that operations remain uninterrupted. These include offices responsible for health services, public safety, and emergency preparedness and response. Still, Canlas said the government may need to prioritize arrangements that keep offices accessible to the public, particularly for transactions involving businesses. He said agencies could consider maintaining the traditional fiveday office schedule while allowing See “Setbacks,” A2
BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business
EJAP JOURNALISM AWARDS
BUSINESS NEWS SOURCE OF THE YEAR
(2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021) DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
2018 BANTOG MEDIA AWARDS
FISCAL PLAY KEY TO FDI REBOUND FROM ’25 DROP www.businessmirror.com.ph
n
Thursday, March 12, 2026 Vol. 21 No. 151
P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 22 pages | 7 DAYS A WEEK
By Andrea San Juan @andreasanjuan
A
NALYSTS offer a troika of policies that could help the Philippines recover from a drop in foreign direct investments (FDI) last year, when investors became pensive as the country wrestled with economic and political headwinds. Preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that net FDI inflows dropped by 17.1 percent to $7.8 billion in the January-to-December 2025 period from the $9.4 billion in the same period in 2024. The drop in the FDI was pinned by Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Senior Research Fellow John Paolo R. Rivera on tighter global financial conditions, geopolitical uncertainty and “domestic constraints.” The latter includes slower growth, infrastructure delays and investment climate concerns, he explained. Rivera added that the Philippines may See “FDI,” A7
TRUCKERS PUSH RATE HIKE Truckers queue along a loading area in Tondo, Manila, to pick up cargo for their daily deliveries, as rising fuel prices continue to strain the trucking industry. Alliance of Concerned Truck Owners and
Organizations director Connie Tinio said many truck operators are choosing not to dispatch their vehicles due to the larger capital required to complete a single trip because of higher fuel costs. The situation has prompted transport groups to push for a 30-percent increase in trucking rates to help offset operational expenses and sustain their operations. NONIE REYES
PBBM talks to JP Morgan, glove investors RAZON NOW PHL’S RICHEST,
N
By Troi Santos
EW YORK—President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday held an informal “kapihan” with Filipino journalists at The Pierre hotel in Manhattan, using the tail end of his working visit to the United Nations to promote the Philippines’s bid for a Security Council seat while fielding questions on gender equality, overseas workers and rising oil prices. A few dozen reporters sat around a long conference table as Marcos opened with a prepared statement summarizing his three-day trip. The visit included an address to the UN General Assembly, a speech at the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women and meetings with Secretary General António Guterres, diplomats and
business leaders. He said he came to call for peace amid tensions in the Middle East and elsewhere, reaffirm commitment to multilateralism and the rule of law, and lobby for a non‑permanent Security Council seat for the 2027–28 term. On the economic front, Marcos said he met with executives of a USbased medical glove company that plans to build a manufacturing facility in the Philippines. The first phase is already being prepared, with a site and local partner identified, he said. The initial investment is estimated at about $200 million and could create more than 2,000 jobs, with the longer-term goal of serving both domestic and export markets. Pressed for details on the medical glove project, Marcos said company representatives have begun work in the Philippines and that
construction of the initial facility was under way. Once the building is complete and the machinery arrives, the plant could be operational “within 48 hours,” he said, adding that the project would help secure the country’s supply of gloves for health workers, the military and other sectors and could eventually support exports. In a separate meeting with senior officials of JPMorgan, he said discussions focused on how geopolitical tensions are affecting global oil prices and financial markets, and on the need to prepare for rapid advances in artificial intelligence. At the women’s conference, Marcos said, he presented national progress as tied to the status of women, highlighting education, protection from violence and the presence of women “wherever decisions are made,” in-
cluding government, business and peace negotiations. He described his meeting with Mr. Guterres as a continuation of talks that began in 2022 and said he had conveyed the Philippines’ “enduring commitment” to the UN system. Marcos told reporters he used his General Assembly speech to stress the UN Charter, the peaceful settlement of disputes and what he called the “intertwined destiny” of the Philippines and the United Nations. He again sought support for Manila’s Security Council bid, casting the country as a voice for the Indo‑Pacific, developing and climate‑vulnerable states and middle‑income economies. He also hosted a diplomatic reception at the UN to drum up backing for the candidacy and to
ACCORDING TO FORBES LIST
P
By VG Cabuag
ORT and casino mogul Enrique K. Razon Jr. is now the country’s richest person, according to Forbes magazine’s list of the richest people in the world. Razon, 66, who owns port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. and integrated resort and casino owner Bloomberry Resorts Corp., had a net worth of $16.5 billion, up from the previous year’s $10.9 billion. He landed 175th on the Forbes list. Last year’s Philippines richest, Manuel B. Villar Jr., dropped to fourth place, with his fortunes reaching only $3.1 billion, down from last year’s $17.2 billion. A series of controversies, such as allega-
$16.5B PORT and casino mogul Enrique K. Razon Jr.
tions of market manipulation and poor water service, have rocked his family business, mainly on real estate, retail and utilities. This placed Ramon S. Ang, chairman of conglomerate San Miguel Corp., to a far second on the list, with $3.6 billion in net worth, down from last year’s $3.7 billion. Ang was at 1,189th position on the Forbes list. See “Razon,” A2
See “Investors,” A8
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 59.1390 n JAPAN 0.3741 n UK 79.3882 n HK 7.5590 n CHINA 8.6045 n SINGAPORE 46.4491 n AUSTRALIA 42.0833 n EU 68.6722 n KOREA 0.0402 n SAUDI ARABIA 15.7599 Source: BSP (March 11, 2026)