Duterte considering proposed 4-day workweek, wage subsidy amid fuel price hikes —Palace

President Rodrigo Duterte is considering the proposals for a four-day workweek, wage subsidies, and other suggestions in light of the fuel price hikes, Malacañang said on Wednesday.

At the Palace briefing, acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar said these proposals are under consideration in case the price of fuel continues to increase.

“'Yan po ay under consideration ng ating Pangulo ang ilan pong panukala ng NEDA [National Economic and Development Authority] at kasama na po diyan ang nabanggit niyo na four-day workweek at meron din pong extension ng work from home,” he said.

(Some proposals of NEDA including the four-day workweek and extension of work-from-home arrangement are under the consideration of the President.)

Asked about the proposal on wage subsidy, Andanar said it will be thoroughly studied to balance the different recommendations from various departments.

“'Yan din po ay under consideration. Pag-aaralan pa ng husto. Kailangan balansehin nang husto ang mga suhestiyon ng iba't ibang departmento katulad ng DOLE [Department of Labor and Employment],” he said.

(That is under consideration. It is still being studied thoroughly. We have to really balance the suggestions of different departments such as the DOLE.)

During the Talk to the People aired on Wednesday morning, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) head Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua suggested that the government impose a four-day workweek to conserve energy and alleviate the public’s expenses amid the oil price hikes.

Labor Assistant Secretary Dominique Tutay said the DOLE proposed a P24-billion wage subsidy for around 1 million minimum wage earners in the private sector. The wage subsidy will be distributed from April to June.

On Tuesday, oil firms implemented a major price hike on fuel products, marking the 11th straight week of increases.

Prices per liter of fuel products went up as follows: gasoline by P7.10, diesel by P13.15, and kerosene by P10.50.

In the past 10 weeks, prices of fuel products have been hiked, and have only been on an upward movement so far this year.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has maintained that the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has hit global prices. The Philippines does not directly import from Russia, but sources its supply from other countries which in turn source their supply from the country.

The DOE on Monday warned that local pump prices per liter of gasoline could hit as high as P86.72 and diesel at P81.10 should global prices continue to increase.

However, in Boracay, Aklan, diesel already hit P97 per liter on Tuesday.

Transportation groups said the weekly fuel price hikes have been a big burden, and called for an increase in the minimum fare. —KG, GMA News