FOUR-DAY WORKWEEK. The Northern Samar provincial capitol in Catarman, Northern Samar. The Northern Samar provincial government has adopted the four-day workweek policy, in combination with one-day work-from-home alternative work arrangement starting April 1. (Photo courtesy of Northern Samar provincial government) TACLOBAN CITY - The Northern Samar provincial government has adopted the four-day workweek policy, in combination with a one-day work-from-home alternative work arrangement starting Monday. In a memorandum issued by Governor Edwin Ongchuan on April 1, the latter officially endorsed the hybrid work scheme. "The order requires employees to still work on an eight-hour a day basis, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with one day allotted to work from home," Ongchuan in a statement issued on Monday. The surge in fuel prices prompted the governor to issue the policy in a bid to help reduce the daily transportation cost of employees and other incidental expenses entailed in heading to their workplace. "Offices are directed to keep their five-day operations from Mondays to Fridays, to ensure continuity in the delivery of services. The employees are divided into two groups, with one group reporting from Mondays to Thursdays, and another from Tuesdays to Fridays. Through this scheme, basic services will not be hampered and will remain during weekdays," Ongchuan added. In provincial and district hospitals, only those assigned to the administrative and finance services sections are covered by the policy. Over 1,000 provincial government workers are covered by the modified work scheme. (PNA) }