MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is open to studying the proposed four-day workweek as a mitigating measure should oil prices in the world market continue to surge and hostilities in the Middle East take longer to resolve. The idea was floated by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian who said cutting the number of working days or expanding the work-from-home setup could help cushion the effect of high fuel prices. “That suggestion could be suggested by the president, especially if the Israel-Iran issue would worsen. But for now, that isn’t being talked about yet,” Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said in Filipino in a press conference on Wednesday. Flexible work arrangements for government workers are authorized under Civil Service Commission (CSC) Memorandum Circular 6, series of 2022. For those in the private sector, alternative work arrangements are recognized as stated in Republic Act 11165, or the Telecommuting Act. Marcos earlier this week urged the public to brace for the impact of the conflict in the Middle East which is seen to trigger huge spikes in the prices of oil and its by-products. “But despite this, President Marcos Jr. maintained there is sufficient supply of oil and crude oil in the country which is expected to last from 50 to 60 days. The government is also prepared in case tensions worsen and the price of oil reaches 80 dollars per barrel,” Castro said.