Garment exporters cut workdays as costs soar

{ "title": "Rising Costs Force Philippine Garment Exporters to Trim Workweeks", "content": "Faced with skyrocketing operational expenses, garment exporters in the Philippines are scaling back workdays to stay afloat, industry officials said.\n\nThe move comes as costs for raw materials, energy, and logistics continue to climb, squeezing profit margins for manufacturers that rely heavily on export markets. Several firms have reduced operations from five days to four or even three days per week, leading to lower output and reduced incomes for workers.\n\n“We are being forced to cut production schedules because the cost of doing business has become unsustainable,” said a representative of the Garment Exporters Association of the Philippines. “Without immediate government intervention, more factories may have to shut down permanently.”\n\nThe decline in workdays is expected to impact the country’s export targets and could lead to job losses in a sector that employs hundreds of thousands of Filipinos. Exporters are urging the government to provide subsidies, lower electricity rates, and streamline port procedures to help mitigate the crisis."