CEBU City Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña announced on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, that the "Mayor of the Night" program will not switch to a four-day workweek.
While the National Government is pushing for shorter workweeks to save energy, Osmeña insists the city's night services must remain available every day.
The vice mayor explained that the program is specifically built for the 150,000 business process outsourcing (BPO) workers in the city.
Because these employees work on US time zones, they need government services available when they are awake and working.
"It won’t work because BPOs do not follow a four-day workweek. They provide live service based on US time," Osmeña said.
Helping the night shift
The program has a proposed budget of P5 million for two years.
Osmeña believes this is a small price to pay to help residents who cannot visit City Hall during normal business hours.
He noted that moving some transactions to the night shift could also reduce long lines and crowding during the day.
Addressing critics of the budget, Osmeña stated, "People are asking why we are spending P5 million for two years. That’s nothing." He explained that the money comes from P600 million in savings his office generated in 2025.
City Hall still studying options
While Osmeña is keeping the night program on a full schedule, Mayor Nestor Archival said on Monday, March 9, that the rest of City Hall is not ready to change its schedule yet.
The mayor’s office is currently observing how other local governments handle the four-day workweek before making a final decision for Cebu City employees. (CAV)