ALL OFFICIALS and employees of the City Government of Davao return to regular on-site work every Friday starting October 3, after Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte lifted the work-from-home (WFH) arrangement imposed earlier this year.
Duterte signed Executive Order (EO) No. 33, Series of 2026, on Sept. 21, and it is effective Thursday, October 1.
The order ends the WFH schedule under Section 2 of EO No. 8, Series of 2026, which adopted energy conservation measures and flexible work arrangements in city government.
Under the order, city personnel must resume regular on-site work and observe the official office hours set by Civil Service Commission rules and other applicable laws.
The order said the city government assessed its operational requirements, workforce deployment, service delivery mechanisms, and organizational needs.
“Returning to on-site work is necessary to strengthen coordination among offices, improve operational efficiency, enhance supervision and accountability, facilitate inter-office collaboration, and ensure prompt delivery of public services,” the order reads.
Energy conservation to continue
The order stressed that lifting WFH does not end the city’s energy conservation program.
All departments and offices must keep implementing the measures under EO No. 8, including prudent use of electricity and other government utilities.
The order directed compliance with energy conservation protocols for office facilities and equipment, and maximum use of government digital systems and electronic platforms for official transactions whenever practicable.
Department heads and chiefs of offices were directed to ensure an orderly and immediate return to on-site work and strictly monitor attendance and compliance with office hours.
The order stressed that government services remain “efficient, accessible, and uninterrupted” and that government resources are used in line with accounting, auditing, budgeting, and administrative rules.
Executive Order No. 08, Series of 2026 mandated a flexible work-from-home (WFH) arrangement every Friday for non-essential Davao City government offices starting April 17, 2026, as an energy conservation measure.
Meanwhile, frontline and essential service offices (such as hospitals, health offices, emergency response, disaster risk management, and public safety) maintained full on-site operations.
