City Hall wants 20% cut in power, fuel expenses

TheMonitorMindanaoToday.com | City Hall wants 20% cut in power, fuel expenses
 

By; Uriel Quilinguing

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – By reducing working days in a week from five to four, the city government could save about 20 percent of its electricity and fuel consumption, thus responding to energy conservation calls amid price hikes on oil products due to the Middle East crisis.

The four-day workweek scheme at City Hall offices began noontime of

Monday, March 9, prompted by Executive Order No. 103-2026 that Mayor Rolando A. Uy issued early that day, following Department of Energy’s announcement of price adjustments within the week. It shall be enforced unless lifted.

Pump prices per liter of petroleum products would range from P7 to P13 for gasoline, from P17.50 to P24.25 of diesel, and P32 to P38.50 for kerosene, the DOE advisory disclosed. Industry experts placed the impact of the cost of petroleum products on electric rates at about 16 percent.

Other than the four-day workweek, E.O. No. 103-2026 mandates that official working hours starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 7 p.m. with an hour of noon-break, equivalent to 40 hours per week which is required by law of government employees.

Lights and air conditioning units – set at 24-degree standard thermostat — are to be turned off on noon-breaks. While lights are still turned on until 7 pm, operation of air condition devices stops at 5 pm.

The Order has also directed all department managers and office heads to minimize travels by city government-operated transport vehicles, essential trips must be consolidated, routes optimized, and adoption of full-tank method. Meetings should be done virtually and communications sent online, unless physical presence is legally required.

Issued to abide with the Memorandum Circular No. 114 of the Office of the President and pursuant to Section 6 of Republic Act No. 11285, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, E.O. No. 103-2026 requires all heads of office to monitor compliance.

Costs of electricity and fuel consumptions shall be computed monthly and compare the amounts to the monthly averages of 2025, a portion of the Order states, even as the city government’s objective is to see a 10 to 20-percent reduction in its expenditures on these items.

Under the four-day workweek, City Hall employees are not required to report to office on Fridays, except for those whose services are essential — at city hospitals, on the road to man traffic, and on-standby for emergency response and assistance. (UCQ)

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