Gov’t front-line services stay open; companies urged to be ‘flexible’
Government agencies providing front-line services will remain open, along with banks and retail, service and similar establishments, during the monthlong community quarantine in Metro Manila that takes effect on Sunday.
Two Cabinet officials gave this assurance to the public, even as they urged private companies and establishments to adopt flexible work schedules to help lessen the risk of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) spreading, following a steady rise in cases especially in Metro Manila.
‘Skeletal staffing’
“Skeletal staffing patterns will be put in place, and telecommuting and telework may also be considered in order to ensure that public services continue uninterrupted while these measures are in place,” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said at Malacañang’s Laging Handa press briefing on Friday.
He also appealed to the public to make use of technology in transacting with government front-line agencies, especially if their physical presence is not needed.
“If it’s just a paper that needs to be sent, physical presence may not be required. That’s what we want to impose on our government agencies. If the document will suffice, and there’s no need for the person, so that we can limit the movement,” Nograles said.
‘Rent a place’
Private establishments, such as manufacturing, retail stores, restaurants and banks may also adopt flexible work arrangements, such as rotational work-from-home schedules and skeletal deployment.
“It doesn’t mean there’s no office work, because we know that with the technology now, many can work even from their homes. So that’s being encouraged, the bottom line is less movement of people,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said.
Regarding Metro Manila workers living outside the metropolis, Lopez suggested, “I’m sure the companies will just encourage their people, their employees to find a place in Metro Manila. They can rent a place to reduce the movement of people.”
“Employers can rent rooms or bedspacing to help their workers. It doesn’t have to be costly,” Lopez said.
But if companies cannot afford to provide their employees with temporary living quarters in Metro Manila, he said workers from outside National Capital Region (NCR) “will just have to go through the process” of commuting here and presenting documents to law enforcement authorities.
Tax filings
On the matter of tax filings, the deadline of which follows right after the quarantine period, Lopez quoted Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III as saying that, although the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) will not extend its April 15 deadline for the filing of income tax, the BIR may waive the payment of interest, subject to certain conditions.
“He (Dominguez) said, ‘We cannot extend the April 15 deadline. It is in the law. But we can allow amendment of returns without payment of interest, subject to certain conditions like no variants of more than 25 percent. This will be in line with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s extension of deadline of filing of audited financial statements of 60 days,” Lopez said.
Duterte staying in NCR
President Rodrigo Duterte will stay in Metro Manila while it is under a monthlong community quarantine and will preside over daily meetings to assess the coronavirus threat, according to his spokesperson, Salvador Panelo.
“Not only will he not go to Davao, he will preside over the Cabinet meeting to be held every day at noon for the duration of the emergency,” Panelo said in a text message to the Inquirer.
Nograles said at a press briefing that apart from the Cabinet’s daily meetings, the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases would meet regularly to assess the measures implemented to contain the virus.
The judiciary won’t shut down, Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen said on Friday.
“The judiciary will not shut down. It has a public duty to ensure the rule of law even tin times of crisis. Operations however will be adjusted to deal with the health concerns of the public as well as the welfare of judicial personnel,” Leonen said on his personal Twitter account.
But the House of Representatives has suspended work, after an employee in the chamber had tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Senate had earlier already suspended work, with many senators on self-quarantine after a resource speaker at a recent hearing had tested positive.
House suspends work
Work at the House is suspended from March 16 to April 12, the chamber’s Secretary General Jose Luis Montales said on Friday, citing Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano’s decision to adopt a work schedule parallel to the Executive branch.
The House employee’s testing positive has prompted authorities to trace everyone who had contact with this patient. Four House lawmakers are also on self-quarantine for being in contact with persons who later tested positive for the virus.
The House, however, will maintain a skeletal workforce in some vital departments, including the office of the sergeant-at-arms and the engineering, finance, and information communications technology departments, Montales said.
“Those not on rotating skeletal workforce shall be allowed to work from home but are required to timely submit their assigned outputs using telecommunication and online technologies,” he said.
Montales added that House committees may still hold hearings, briefings and conferences to help determine the spread of the coronavirus and mitigate its impact. —REPORTS FROM JULIE M. AURELIO, DJ YAP AND JEROME ANING
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