The provincial government of Zambales has adopted a four-day workweek for its employees as part of energy conservation measures amid rising global oil prices linked to the Middle East crisis.

Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. issued Executive Order No. 1, series of 2026, on March 9 directing provincial offices, local government units, and government instrumentalities to implement flexible work arrangements to reduce electricity and fuel consumption.

The move follows Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Memorandum Circular No. 114, released on March 6, which ordered all government agencies and offices to strictly adopt energy conservation protocols.

Under the order, government employees will work on-site from Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., while Fridays will be designated as work-from-home days to allow personnel to perform tasks remotely while maintaining productivity and operational continuity.

However, Ebdane said the Provincial Engineering Office and the province’s four hospitals will maintain regular office operations from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., to ensure the delivery of essential services.

Meanwhile, the provincial government’s Accounting, Treasury, General Services, and Disaster Management offices will operate with a skeleton workforce on Fridays, with a duty officer assigned to continue critical operations.

The executive order also directs government offices to prioritize virtual meetings for conferences and consultations whenever feasible, limit official travel and out-of-town trainings to essential activities, and consolidate trips and optimize routes for government vehicles to reduce fuel use.

Ebdane expressed hope that municipal governments in the province would also adopt similar energy conservation initiatives.