JV Ejercito pushes WFH expansion, public transport priority, and bike-to-work programs amid looming oil price hikes
March 10, 2026
Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito has urged the government and private sector to adopt practical measures to ease the burden on Filipinos amid escalating tensions involving the United States, Iran, and other countries in the Middle East that could trigger global oil prices higher.
Ejercito’s proposal includes expanding work-from-home arrangements, prioritizing public transportation, and promoting bike-to-work programs.
“The Philippines is highly vulnerable to global oil price shocks because we import most of our fuel. Sa kasalukuyang tensyon sa Middle East, mararamdamam agad ito ng ordinaryong Pilipino, partikular na sa pamasahe, sa presyo ng pagkain, at sa pang-araw-araw na gastusin,” Ejercito said.
With government agencies implementing a four-day workweek following the directive of the President, the lawmaker from San Juan encouraged the private sector to revisit flexible work arrangements that proved effective during the pandemic.
“Expanding hybrid or work-from-home arrangements for sectors where this is possible—such as IT-BPO, finance, and government administrative offices—can help reduce daily commuting and fuel consumption,” Ejercito explained.
“Companies may also explore cluster reporting or rotating team schedules to lessen congestion and transportation demand.”
Ejercito recently filed Senate Bill No. 1739 that seeks to expand the coverage of the Republic Act No. 11165 or the "Telecommuting Act,” which was passed in 2018, to further institutionalize remote work arrangements in the country.
The proposed amendment aims to extend telecommuting coverage to both public and private sector employees, adopt an output-oriented work arrangement for eligible positions, and provide a monthly non-taxable telecommuting allowance for workers under such programs.
“During the pandemic, we saw that many sectors can still be productive kahit flexible ang work setup. Strengthening our telecommuting framework won’t just help sa work-life balance, but also help reduce traffic congestion and fuel consumption,” Ejercito said.
Should oil prices continue to rise, Ejercito emphasized the need to prioritize public transportation to reduce dependence on private vehicles and help commuters cope with higher fuel costs.
“We should strengthen and prioritize public transport so more Filipinos can move efficiently without being overly affected by rising fuel prices,” he said.
“The government should also roll out fuel subsidies for PUV drivers right away, and make the process simple and fast so nobody gets left out,” he added.
As a cyclist himself who also uses a bike to commute to work, Ejercito also stressed the importance of investing in active mobility infrastructure, including safer bike lanes and pedestrian facilities.
“Kung mas ligtas at mas maayos ang bike lanes at pedestrian infrastructure, mas maraming Pilipino ang maeengganyo na mag-bike o maglakad papasok sa trabaho,” Ejercito said. “We can also incentivize bike-to-work programs to encourage sustainable and cost-efficient mobility.”
It can also be remembered that Ejercito earlier renewed his call for the immediate passage of Senate Bill No. 5 which mandates the automatic suspension of excise taxes on petroleum products.
Ejercito’s bill seeks to automatically suspend the imposition of excise tax on regular gasoline, unleaded premium gasoline, and diesel fuel oil when the average Dubai crude oil price based on Mean of Platts Singapore reaches or exceeds USD 80 per barrel.
“Hindi natin kontrolado ang geopolitics, pero maaari tayong maging handa. Ang mahalaga ay may malinaw na plano ang gobyerno para maprotektahan ang kabuhayan at kapakanan ng bawat Pilipino.”
