Civil servants in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are now allowed to go home from work at 3:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday.

BARMM Chief Minister Ahod “Murad” Ebrahim on Monday also modified the working hours of officials and employees during the fasting month of Ramadan.

Fasting from sunrise to dusk by able-bodied Muslims started on April 3 and will end on May 2.

“Muslim officials and employees who shall observe fasting during the holy month are allowed to observe flexible working hours from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.,” Ebrahim said in Memorandum Circular No. 0051.

“After the end of Ramadan, all officials and employees shall revert to their respective regular working hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” he added.

Ahead of the start of the fasting month, Ebrahim urged all Bangsamoro to spread love. He also called on the public to continue observing physical distancing since the threat of Covid-19 still exists and “is still around us.”

“We hurdled the pandemic, I believe time will come that this pandemic will end,” he said in the vernacular.

Ramadan, the holiest observance among Muslims worldwide, comes at a time when the country is at the peak of the campaign period for the May 9 national and local polls.

“I hope peace will prevail during and after the local and national elections, I hope patience and understanding about our political stance will prevail,” Ebrahim said.

“Let us not allow the political season to disrupt our fasting and religious activities, let us not allow our differences in choices to affect our fasting,” he said. (PNA)