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Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Davao City Council okays 4-day work schedule
By Aurea A. Gerundio
DAVAO CITY -- A measure adopting a four-day workweek and extended working hours for City Government employees was approved by the Davao City Council on Tuesday.
The ordinance, which requires City Government employees to work from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for four days a week, was passed by a 19-7 vote in favor of the measure.
Under the new working schedule, employees can choose from either Monday or Friday as their additional day off aside from Saturday and Sunday.
The number of employees reporting for work on either Monday or Friday, however, must not be less than 50 percent of the total workforce.
Councilor Peter T. Laviña, who handled the committee hearings of the ordinance as chair of the committee on labor and employment, said the measure aims to lessen the daily expenses of employees without disrupting public service but instead improve the work efficiency in the government.
Councilor Diosdado A. Mahipus Sr. is the proponent of the four-day workweek schedule for City Government employees.
Laviña said giving an additional day off to employees would allow them to engage in other livelihood activities that would help them augment their income.
Councilor Emmanuel D. Galicia Sr., however, said the ordinance is not favorable to employees who live far from the workplace and female employees who still have young kids to attend to.
"Those female employees who have younger children have to attend to their kids before going to the office. If the new working hour starts at 7 a.m., then how can they drop their kids at school when they are hurrying for work? I suggest that we maintain the present schedule that is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.," Galicia said.
Laviña said female employees, who have kids age 12 years old and below, may apply for exemption.
"In fact, those employees doing field work, job contract employees, consultants and confidential employees are also excluded in the ordinance," Laviña said, adding that the approved ordinance will be submitted to the executive department for Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte's approval.
Aside from Galicia, Councilors Nilo G. Abellera, Leonardo R. Avila III, Ricardo B. Cabling, Jimmy G. Dureza, Jesus A. Zozobrado Jr. and Angela Librado-Trinidad also voted "no" to the proposed four-day work in a week.
(February 9, 2005 issue)
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