Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 19) — Companies are being encouraged to let their employees come to their workplace in different shifts to reduce health and safety risks amid the pandemic.
During the Laging Handa briefing on Monday, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said they will soon issue a memorandum circular containing guidelines for employers on how to adopt staggered schedules. He added that diversified office hours would also help decongest public transportation by lessening the volume of commuters on their way to work.
“Ipapalabas ang circular sa mga kumpanya na i-apply na iba-iba ang office hours para mai-spread ang dumadami ng bumibyahe papunta sa opisina,” Lopez said.
He added: “May magsisimula ng 7am, 8am…so on and so forth, para kumalat ang office hours or passengers.”
[Translation: We will soon release a circular for companies to apply different work hours in order to spread the number of people who come to the office. Some employees may start at 7am, 8am…so on and so forth, to spread out the office hours or passengers.]
According to Lopez, the circular will likely be issued this Monday or Tuesday.
No other details on the applicable areas for the proposed work arrangement have been provided yet.
Some firms in Metro Manila and other areas under general community quarantine have resorted to work-from-home arrangements since the pandemic hit early this year.
Metro Manila mayors and several members of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases have agreed during their Sunday meeting to shorten curfew hours from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m., instead of the current 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. The proposal was approved “in principle” but Navotas City’s curfew will remain at 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
In the meeting, it was also decided that Metro Manila residents aged 18 to 65 will now be allowed to go out of their homes.
Meanwhile, calls to extend Metro Manila’s GCQ status up until the end of the year were raised, to allow the country to boost its economy.
For Lopez, regardless of these recommendations, the national government will continue its call to implement tight health protocols for the public’s safety.
“Kahit ho nagluluwag ang ating mga sector, importanteng hindi luwagan ang wearing of masks, shields, physical distancing,” he said.
[Translation: Despite looser guidelines among different sectors, rules on wearing of masks, shields and observing physical distancing will not be eased.]
