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President Ferdinand Marcos delivers a speech at the Philippines-Korea Business Forum in Pasay, Metro Manila on March 4, 2026.
AFP / Jam Sta Rosa
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered government offices to temporarily shift to a four-day workweek starting March 9 as the government prepares for possible fuel price hikes linked to tensions in the Middle East.
The arrangement is part of a broader set of measures aimed at reducing fuel and power consumption while the government monitors the impact of the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
In his announcement Friday, March 6, Marcos also said the government is also studying fuel subsidies and a possible reduction in petroleum excise taxes to cushion the impact of rising oil prices.
Energy-saving measures. Marcos said agencies have been ordered to cut fuel and electricity consumption by 10% to 20%.
He also banned government study tours, team-building activities, and in-person meetings that can be conducted online.
The four-day workweek will apply only to select government offices. Agencies providing emergency and essential services such as police, firefighters and frontline public service offices will not be covered.
Marcos said the arrangement would be temporary but did not give a specific end date.
Possible oil price spike
Marcos warned that a disruption in the Strait of Hormuz — a key shipping route for global oil — could sharply increase local fuel prices.
He said pump prices could rise next week by P7.48 per liter for gasoline, P17.28 for diesel, and P32.35 for kerosene if the strait is effectively closed.
"We are victims of a war that is not of our choosing," Marcos said in a statement.
"But we control how we will protect the Filipino."
The Philippines imports most of its crude oil from the Middle East and still relies on oil-fired power plants to generate electricity.
Other measures considered
Marcos urged Congress to authorize him to reduce excise taxes on petroleum products if global crude oil prices exceed $80 per barrel.
He also called for amendments to the country's biofuels law to allow the use of cheaper bioethanol in blending with petroleum products.
The government is also preparing fuel subsidies and cash transfers for sectors affected by rising oil prices, though details have yet to be released.
Marcos also noted that the conflict could affect more than two million Filipinos working in the Middle East. — Based on reports from Philstar.com / John Marwin Elao and Agence France Presse
