Businesses are reviving pandemic-era playbooks—testing hybrid work and tightening planning—as global uncertainty drives up costs and clouds operations.
Speaking in Makati on March 18, Donald Lim said some firms are eyeing a three-day onsite, two-day remote setup.
The goal is to cut fuel bills and soften the hit from rising transport and food prices.
“It’s a different play altogether—it’s how companies manage employee lifestyles,” Lim said, noting administrative work can now be done remotely after firms were “trained during COVID.”
The idea is still under discussion within the private sector and is not a government mandate.
Companies are also compressing planning cycles—from monthly to weekly—as they adopt a wait-and-see stance. Volatility in energy and food supplies, along with geopolitical risks, is forcing quicker pivots.
“Business operates on certainty. If uncertainty is high, planning becomes difficult,” Lim said, stressing the need to stabilize oil and food prices while boosting resilience.
Manufacturers, meanwhile, are shifting to defense mode.
On March 19, Elizabeth Lee said firms are cutting costs and squeezing efficiencies while keeping workers—for now. Non-essential spending like overseas travel is on hold; factories are conserving energy, reducing fuel use, and even organizing carpooling.
“We have no choice but to tighten our belts… but not letting go of people. Not yet,” Lee said.
That stance may not hold if disruptions drag on. “If it’s prolonged—say a year—we might be in trouble,” she warned.
Lee underscored the stakes
every factory job supports at least two more across the value chain, making manufacturing crucial for employment and resilience.
For now, industry is staying lean, nimble—and braced for what’s next.
