Many regions in the Philippines allow for a 4-day work week to avoid heat

The Philippines, along with some other countries in the Asian region, is currently experiencing extreme heat (Photo: Xinhua).

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the government of Cavite province, located more than 30km from the capital city of Manila, Philippines, has implemented a policy allowing civil servants to work 4 days a week in the office starting from late April until July. Specifically, employees will work from 7am to 6pm from Monday to Thursday each week.

Some other localities have also implemented a similar policy, allowing civil servants to work 4 days a week, excluding frontline work such as rescue workers, traffic police, and healthcare workers.

The Philippine Department of Labor stated that employers have the right to adjust the work week to 4 days and other alternative arrangements even without government orders.

The idea of working 10 hours a day, 4 days a week instead of 8 hours a day, 5 days a week is not new in the Philippines. The Philippine Minister of Economic Planning previously proposed this change in 2022 after a sharp increase in fuel prices due to the Ukraine conflict.

The Philippines is currently experiencing extreme heat due to the impact of El Nino. According to the country's Ministry of Health, from January 1 to April 29, the number of heat-related illnesses in the country has risen to 77, with 7 fatalities. Cavite recorded a peak temperature of 48 degrees Celsius on April 24.

The extreme heat has also prompted a number of public schools in the Philippines to switch to online learning arrangements like during the Covid-19 pandemic.