IN another crack at solving the worsening traffic problem on EDSA and other major thoroughfares, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has proposed to President Bongbong Marcos a major adjustment in the working hours for national government offices.
Based on the MMDA proposal, work period for state employees in Metro Manila should be adjusted an hour earlier, or from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Interestingly, the work schedule proposed for national government workers has been in effect since May 2024 for employees of local government units (LGUs) in the National Capital Region.
Those who do not like the idea of early office work may be reassured that the proposed schedule was not just plucked out of thin air. It was the product of a formal study which was officially presented at a Metro Manila Council (MMC) meeting. The study said the MMDA has established that car traffic volume will be “distributed” during the morning peak hours from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. under the new work schedule.
‘Will the new schedule in government offices work or not? We cannot know for sure unless we try.’
It is worthy to note that all local government units in Metro Manila have been observing the experimental work schedule since last May, and the results are encouraging.
“Travel time decreased by 10.2 percent, while travel speed increased by 20.7 percent on the roads near the city and municipal halls of the LGUs,” the MMDA said in the report.
The modified work schedule “led to minimal improvement in traffic flow along Metro Manila’s major thoroughfares, as most LGU infrastructure is situated on city and municipal roads,” the Authority said.
Implementing the proposed revised work schedule would “distribute private vehicles used by employees of national government agencies during peak hours by 37.15 percent,” the MMDA pointed out.
It was established by the council of mayors that there are 473,533 workers of national government agencies in the metropolis, and their reporting for work one hour earlier would considerably decongest city streets early in the day. This would also make available to the public vital government services early.
With the work schedule moved back an hour, national government workers taking public transportation would “avoid the rush hour alongside private sector employees,” according to the MMDA.
During the meeting, MMC president and San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora as well as Pasay Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano approved the proposed adjustment in working hours for national government employees.
Even President Bongbong Marcos said the executive branch is studying the MMDA proposal and concerned sectors, from traffic enforcers and traffic administrators to commuters, will be consulted. “If it turns out that everyone agrees to it, then I cannot see why it will be a problem,” he said.
Opposition to the idea, meanwhile, comes from parents of school children who said there would be chaos in the streets when office workers beating the Bundy clock and hordes of kids rushing to school meet in the road or at bus, jeepney and rail terminals.
Will the new schedule in government offices work or not? We cannot know for sure unless we try.