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(Bloomberg) — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said government offices will be on a four-day work week starting on Monday in the Southeast Asian nation’s bid to save on energy as tensions in the Middle East push global fuel costs higher.
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In a video message on Friday, Marcos said the shorter work week will be temporary and won’t cover those who provide emergency services including the police, firefighters and other agencies that provide frontline services to the public.
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He also ordered all government agencies to cut their use of electricity and fuel costs by 10% to 20%. “All non-essential travels and activities of the government are also temporarily prohibited such as study tours, team-building activities or meetings that can be done online,” Marcos said.
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The Southeast Asian nation imports nearly all of its oil requirements, and the war in Iran could spur inflation that already hit a 13-month high in February.
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“My fellowmen, we don’t know when the chaos in the Middle East will end. We are victims of a war that we didn’t choose nor want. We can’t control the war but we can control how we will protect the Filipino,” the president said.
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The Philippines is widely seen by economists as one of the most vulnerable nations in the Asia-Pacific region to inflation and growth risks spurred by the Middle East conflict. The archipelago “tends to see a stronger inflation hit because retail fuel prices are more market-driven and subsidies are limited,” Deepali Bhargava, regional head of research at ING Bank NV, said.
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Read: Rate Cut Bets Are Unraveling Across Developing Asia on Oil Surge
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The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry had warned that the four-day work week could significantly affect the manufacturing industry, a key pillar of the economy. “We have been operating on limited resources and further reducing the number of work days could affect our commitments,” Perry Ferrer, president of the chamber, said before Marcos’ Friday announcement.
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Earlier this week, the Marcos administration ordered government offices to set their air conditioners to no lower than 24C (75F) and adopt flexible work arrangements to help conserve fuel. Marcos reiterated on Friday that he’s seeking emergency authority from Congress to slash taxes on petroleum products if .
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Read: Philippines Central Bank Warns Oil at $100 May Trigger Rate Hike
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Other officials have also announced energy-saving measures. Vice President Sara Duterte has urged her supporters to refrain from organizing motorcades or vehicle caravans when they protest against her political rival, Marcos. The mayor of Manila directed the city government to cut fuel consumption by shifting meetings online, switching power off by 5:00 p.m. and banning non-essential travel.
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