Gov’t urges workers to return to offices under Alert Level 1
MANILA, Philippines — As Metro Manila and 38 other areas return to Alert Level 1, the government is encouraging workers to return to their offices and other workplaces to stimulate spending and ramp up economic activity, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said Monday.
“We will encourage more on-site presence. It used to be work-from-home, now it’s physical presence,” he said, speaking partly in Filipino, during the weekly taped “Talk to the People” with President Rodrigo Duterte
“If more people go to their offices, that will stimulate spending. People will go out. There will be more places to spend on the way to and from work. So that revives places around the area,” Lopez added.
According to him, this will help micro, small, and medium enterprises in business areas to resume their previous operations.
He clarified, however, that working from home would still be allowed, though optional.
But Lopez said: “That’s not encouraged now that we are moving to Alert Level 1 and we want to stimulate more economic activities,” he said.
The shift to Alert Level 1, Lopez said, will lessen remaining economic restrictions and allow “full economic growth.”
Under Alert Level 1, all business establishments and public transport vehicles would be allowed to resume 100% of their capacity.
He said physical distancing would no longer be mandatory in establishments — including restaurants, personal care outlets, and the like — to ensure that they would be able to resume 100% capacity.
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