MANILA, Philippines — The Civil Service Commission (CSC) on Tuesday said government agencies should adopt a work from home arrangement until the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is lifted.
Under Announcement No. 13, s. 2020 signed by CSC chairperson Alicia dela Rosa-Bala, government agencies, except those agencies required to provide a skeletal force, “shall now be limited to work from home…as part of the implementation of the strict home quarantine policy.”
Those exempted from the work from home arrangement include personnel of the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippine, the Philippine Coast Guard, health and emergency frontline services, border control and other critical services that need to ensure a skeletal work force.
CSC issued the announcement following the Memorandum Circular issued on Monday and was signed by the Executive Secretary by order of President Rodrigo Duterte which provides for the enhanced community quarantine over Luzon and further guidelines for the management of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) throughout the country.
BREAKING: Luzon now under ‘enhanced community quarantine’ – Palace
The CSC said the work from home arrangement should be effective from Tuesday (Mar. 17) to April 13, 2020 or “until such time the Enhanced Community Quarantine over Luzon has been lifted.”
“Report on the work from home arrangement adopted by government agencies shall be submitted to the Civil Service Commission Regional Offices for records purposes,” the CSC’s announcement further read.
The Department of Health (DOH) has so far recorded 142 COVID-19 cases in the country.
Philippines reports 2 more COVID-19 cases; total rises to 142
Twelve COVID-19 patients have died while three patients have recovered.
COVID-19, now considered by the World Health Organization as a pandemic, has infected more than 160,000 people – killed 6,000 – in over 140 different countries and territories, including China where the virus originated.