MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) announced that it will be following flexible work hours for its Muslim personnel until May 3 in observance of Ramadan, the month of fasting.
"DepEd respects the rights of all Filipino Muslims to observe fasting during the month of Ramadan from April 3 to May 3, 2022," the agency said in a memo on April 19.
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"In view thereof and as has been a policy of the Department, Muslim personnel nationwide who are fasting while working during the month of Ramadan are allowed to observe flexible working hours, which start 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., and ends 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., without noon break, to complete eight hours of work," it added.
The memo, which was signed by Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones, was issued around two weeks after Ramadan — a holy month in Islam when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and practice self-restraint — began on April 3.
Public elementary and secondary school teachers are required to render a total of eight hours of work— six hours of classroom work and two hours for other teaching-related activities excluding lunch breaks and recess periods, according to an earlier DepEd order.
The normal working hours for government officials and employees are from 8 am to 12 noon, and 1 pm to 5 pm, the Civil Service Commission said in 2016, citing the Administrative Code of 1987.
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