DOLE to employers: Discuss work arrangements ahead of EDSA rehab

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May 26, 2025 | 7:39pm

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment on Monday, May 26 advised employers to consult with their workers on how to address the possible effects of the EDSA rehabilitation efforts. 

Heavy traffic is anticipated to hit motorists who rely on the major highway to travel across Metro Manila for work, with construction efforts expected to stretch from 2025 to 2027. 

“DOLE does not intend to mandate the employers but would rather encourage them to have consultation and do joint problem solving with their workers to come up with mutually beneficial solution or arrangements in order to address and minimize if not totally avoid possible adverse consequences of this EDSA rehab to the workers and the employers as well,” Labor Secretary Benny Laguesma told Philstar.com in a message. 

Laguesma said that DOLE could help employers and employees settle such matters if needed. 

The decision for a firm to have a work-from-home scheme, however, is up to the employers

Such orders should still be subject to reason and the relevant laws, said the DOLE chief.

Plans to alleviate gridlock.  The government is implementing several measures to address the expected traffic caused by the EDSA rehabilitation efforts. 

One of these measures is the implementation of an “odd-even” scheme, which limits the vehicles on EDSA by the number that their plate number ends on. 

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, plate numbers ending in  1,3,5,7, or 9 will not be allowed on EDSA.

Meanwhile, vehicles with plate numbers ending on 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 are not allowed on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. 

The government is also planning to add more train carts and buses on EDSA to further augment the traffic flow. The Skyway is also expected to waive toll fees in areas within EDSA.