No 4-day workweek for Comelec due to various 2026 polls preparations

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will not be implementing a four-day workweek due to its preparations for upcoming elections this year, its chairperson George Erwin Garcia said on Wednesday. 

This came after the issuance of Memorandum Circular No. 114, series of 2026 which directs government agencies to conserve energy and reduce fuel consumption amid the oil price hike. Several government agencies have adapted the new working arrangement, with some of them implementing a hybrid working schedule. 

READ: Marcos declares March 14 holiday for Antipolo 2nd district special polls

Garcia said that as much as they want to follow suit, preparations are tight for the special polls in the second district of Antipolo City on March 14, Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on November 2, and the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections which may be held on September 14. 

“Of course we want to implement it on the first day. Some have already declared a four-day workweek but I hope our fellow citizens will understand that the Comelec is on the peak of its preparations for different elections, this one in September, then the BSKE and the one in BARMM, which has already been certified as urgent by the President,” Garcia told reporters in an interview. 

However, Garcia said that Comelec is implementing energy-saving measures such as turning off air-conditioning after 5 p.m., and turning off electricity for rooms currently not in use. 

Meanwhile, Garcia shared that the poll body is not facing any big challenges ahead of the special elections in Antipolo City on Saturday. The elections, with six candidates vying for the congressional post, will be held following the death of Rep. Romeo Acop. 

The nationwide voters’ registration drive for the BSKE will run from October 20, 2025 to May 18, 2026. The registration drive will accept new registrations, reactivation, modification in entries, and transfer of voter registration from one municipality to another. 

On the other hand, the Senate and the House of Representatives separately approved on third and final reading bills seeking to reset the BARMM elections on the second Monday of September 2026 following its postponement from March 30, 2026. 

With this, Garcia said the passage of a law determining the date of the elections will trigger their preparations for the elections, such as the opening of certificates of candidacies. /mr