The push for work-from-home or remote work setup was intensified online ahead of the EDSA rehabilitation, which includes limiting the access of private vehicles on select days.
Starting June 13, the major thoroughfare EDA, which gives easy access to cities in Metro Manila, will undergo the “EDSA Rebuild” program. The initiative includes pavement replacement, improved pedestrian lanes, and flood management upgrades.
EDSA, originally a two-lane road called “Highway 54” dating back to the Commonwealth-era of 1939, underwent major reconstruction in the 1980s to become the thoroughfare it is today.
According to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan, EDSA has “actually outlived its design capacity.”
He explained the concept for the EDSA rebuild is to replace the pavement with a new, more durable one.
The rehabilitation will be done in segments, lane by lane, with each section expected to be completed within two months.
Roadworks will begin on the innermost bus lanes in both directions, gradually moving to outer lanes, with the stretch from Pasay to Shaw Boulevard (both northbound and southbound) prioritized.
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The government has announced measures to ease the expected heavy traffic during EDSA’s rehabilitation, which is set to continue until 2027.
One of the measures is the “odd-even scheme,” which bans private vehicles with license plates ending in odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) from EDSA on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Meanwhile, private vehicles with license plates ending in even numbers (2, 4, 6, 8, 0) are prohibited on EDSA every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
The scheme does not apply on Sundays.
Other mitigating measures include waiving select Skyway Stage 3 toll fees, adding 100 more buses to the EDSA Bus Carousel to encourage commuting, and increasing the number of MRT-3 trains.
‘More WFH arrangements’
Reports on the EDSA rehabilitation have renewed calls to enforce remote work for employees whose tasks can be done outside the office to ease expected traffic congestion during the repairs.
“Government should enforce WFH,” a Facebook user said in response to the reports.
“I think there will be another carmageddon once the EDSA rehab begins. The gov’t [government] should just order a mandatory work-from-home scheme to avoid this,” Erik Tenedero, ABS-CBN deputy editor for social media, said.
“I hope @MMDA, @DOTrPH will talk to private sector and encourage WFH [work-from-home] or hybrid (max two days) office reporting during this EDSA rebuild,” another X user commented.
“Work from home!” a Facebook user commented.
“Please have more WFH arrangements,” another X user said.
“Mandatory full-time WFH lahat habang inaayos EDSA,” a Pinoy wrote.
Content creator Macoy Dubs also posted a satirical email using his rich businessman persona, “Lisa B,” humorously granting employees work-from-home privileges amid the upcoming EDSA rehabilitation.
“Ano itong nababalitaan ko na may EDSA Rehabilitation na magaganap from June 13 at magiging odd-even ang coding sa EDSA by June 16? Eto pa mga minamahal na empleyado — mukhang 2 [two] years tatagal,” the satire email read.
“Kung ganun rin lang, see you in 2027 na lang! EH DI WORK FROM HOME NA LANG!” it added.
Macoy also posted his content with hashtags like “# empathy” and “#worklifebalance.”
The remote work setup gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to help curb the virus’s spread.
Many workers now prefer remote work because it cuts travel and food expenses, boosts productivity and improves work-life balance.
Experts said that remote work allows a better life-work balance, which may lead to higher job satisfaction and a greater likelihood of workers staying in a company.
It also supports employees’ mental health by letting them create a comfortable and productive environment.
Remote work also benefits communities plagued by heavy traffic, reducing time spent idling in transit and allowing people to focus on more meaningful and productive activities.
In 2018, the Japan International Cooperation Agency reported that Metro Manila’s traffic congestion costs the Philippines P3.5 billion in daily of economic opportunities.
This loss stems from employees being stuck in traffic for hours instead of working from home.
— with reports from Philstar.com/Jean Mangaluz
