It is part of the department’s efforts to improve operational efficiency, promote environmental sustainability, and enhance public access to government services.
Beginning Monday, January 5, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will roll out a nationwide pilot implementation of Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA) scheme.
Under the pilot program, DENR personnel will be placed under one of two flexible work arrangements based on the nature of their duties, while continuing to comply with the required 40 working hours per week.
According to the DENR, “the initiative is designed to help address long daily commutes, ease traffic congestion, and reduce energy consumption, without compromising the delivery of efficient, reliable, and uninterrupted public service.”
It also noted that the pilot implementation is expected to help lessen traffic volume, lower electricity and water consumption in offices, and decrease fuel use.
Instead, the agency encouraged its workers to expand use of digital platforms and alternative service channels that would enable clients to transact with the DENR more conveniently even without physical office visits.
“The Department assures the public that frontline services and essential operations will remain fully accessible on-site from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday to Thursday. Offices and units that require daily on-site presence, such as those handling animal care and similar functions, will continue to operate under their existing work schedules,” it clarified.
The pilot implementation will run until March 27, 2026, and will cover all DENR offices nationwide, including the Central Office, regional and provincial offices, and line bureaus such as the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).
Throughout the pilot period, the DENR will be monitoring the program’s impact on employee performance and productivity, quality of service delivery, energy savings, and client satisfaction.
The results of the assessment, it told, will guide the department’s decision on whether to fully adopt the flexible work arrangements on a permanent basis.
“Through this pilot program, the DENR hopes to foster a more productive, resilient, and people-centered public service while contributing to broader national efforts to ease congestion and promote environmental sustainability,” it added.
Local government units such as the Province of Cavite, Northern Samar, Bayambang in Pangasinan, and San Fernando City in Pampanga, and others have likewise implemented similar measures, particularly in response to rising temperatures and climate-related challenges.
The Civil Service Commission, which issued a memorandum concerning the implementation of the program, has adopted hybrid work arrangements across its offices nationwide in August 2024.