DOLE to businesses: Don’t close, just scale down

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) urged businesses to scale down and employ flexible working arrangements instead of closing to avoid the displacement of more workers.

“Kaya kinakausap namin yung mga businessmen, mga managers na wag naman kayo magsara, magsuspend na lang kayo. Para sa ganoon ay hindi mawalan ng trabaho yung workers,” DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III said Thursday during the Laging Handa briefing.

(We are talking to businessmen, managers not to close and instead just suspend operations. This way, workers will not lose their jobs.)

Bello said the agency recommended businesses to let half of their workers report for a week and the other half the following week so that they will not lose their jobs.

“Our focus is to maintain the employment of our workers. Maaaring mababawasan sila ng kita pero nandyan pa rin yung kanilang status as employees,” Bello said.

(Our focus is to maintain employment for our workers. Their income may be less but at least they retain their employment status.)

Bello said the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has so far displaced nearly 2.5-million workers nationwide.

The lockdown measures in several regions since mid-March shuttered most businesses, excluding those involved in basic necessities like food, medicine and health care.

But the government has slowly eased restrictions by allowing the partial resumption of businesses even in areas under modified enhanced community quarantine.