House session suspended until Monday after employees’ clamor

MANILA, Philippines — Sessions in the House of Representatives will be suspended until Monday, August 17, in response to the clamor of its employees who still have to report to work regularly despite the recent upsurge of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in Metro Manila, Majority Leader Martin Romualdez announced Tuesday.

Romualdez said that the session break would give allow thorough disinfection of all offices and facilities in the House and to give employees a “brief respite” from the aggravation caused by the spike in COVID cases.

“The House leadership decided on the suspension of Wednesday’s session only after the chamber approved on third and final reading the Bayanihan to Recover as One Bill and four other national bills which are part of the government’s COVID response measures,” Romualdez said in a statement.

“The session break will also enable the various committees of the House of Representative to fast-track the reporting out of all COVID-related measures for plenary consideration when we resume the session,” he added.

Currently, there are 40 COVID-19 cases among the personnel of the House.

Despite this, lawmakers are still holding hybrid sessions, with some of its members physically present at the House while the others are attending through videoconferencing.

Several health precautions are being implemented in the House such as the disinfection of offices and buildings and mandatory wearing of face masks among its employees who are physically working there. [ac]