By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The provincial government of Negros Occidental has changed its mind and will instead await the new classification of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on March 16 before they can resume back to their normal five-day workweek.

Provincial administrator, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, said Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has not issued an executive order that would allow the resumption of the five-day workweek.

Previously, both Lacson and Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer have agreed to resume the capitol’s normal workweek by March 1.

Diaz pointed out the reason why they did not proceed is because the province remains under Alert Level 2.

“We were hoping that the province would have been downgraded sa Alert Level 1,” he said.

Diaz said they will recommend to Lacson to resume with the five-day workweek once the province slides down to Alert Level 1, the lowest category in the country’s COVID-19 alert level system.

Meanwhile, even though the capitol remains on a four-day workweek, Diaz said Friday is the day they usually catch up with any unfinished tasks by adopting a work-from-home arrangement.

“Waay pa ta may na-issue nga order, so there is nothing to postpone,” the provincial administrator added./DGB, WDJ