MANILA (Updated) -- The government is mulling to make the working hours flexible, in a bid to address the traffic woes in the Metro Manila, a Palace official said Wednesday.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the proposed flexible working hours is among the "practical" solutions the government is considering to ease the traffic flow in Metro Manila.
"Government is looking for practical solutions to ease the traffic situation in Metro Manila," Abella said in a statement.
"One of the proposals is to have flexible working hours for government officials and employees," he added.
The presidential spokesperson said the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is now studying the flexi-time proposal and is expected to submit its recommendation soon.
A labor group, however, urged the MMDA to consult workers on their plan to enforce flexible working time arrangement for government employees.
"We are in favor of flexible work arrangement but there should be dialogue and policy consultation between MMDA, government agencies and workers first before any such plan is enforced," said Alan Tanjusay, spokesperson of Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines.
Tanjusay cited the possible impact of the flexi-time for government workers on the society, especially on the regulatory and licensing function of government offices.
"If Metro Manila changes government transaction time, every cities and municipalities in the entire region will also make adjustment," Tanjusay said.
ALU vice president Louie Corral, for his part, is proposing the MMDA to promote car-pooling by penalizing private cars plying in Metro Manila with only two passengers particularly during rush hours periods.
"The MMDA should disincentivize private vehicles with less than two passengers and incentivize those cars owners who car-pool. It is the huge number of private cars on the streets who mainly are causing traffic congestion," Corral said.
The Philippines maintained its 12th rank with the worst traffic conditions in the world, getting a traffic index score of 202.15, according to the Traffic Index for Country 2017 report by online database Numbeo.
Numbeo noted that people take 45.14 minutes before they reach their endpoint.
In mid-2016, the Philippines also ranked 12, with traffic index score of 199.66. People last year took 44.55 minutes to reach their destination.
President Rodrigo Duterte has asked Congress to grant him emergency powers to reduce traffic congestion in Metro Manila and other urban areas.
If given emergency powers to solve traffic woes, Duterte, through his appointed Traffic Crisis Manager, is authorized to use alternative methods of procurement under existing laws to expedite the implementation of key transportation projects. (VoxPop Philippines)
