Villanueva pushes for telecommuting amid Metro Manila transpo crisis

MANILA, Philippines — Employers should be open to resort to telecommuting to maintain the “productivity of workers”, Senator Joel Villanueva urged Tuesday amid a “transport crisis” happening in Metro Manila.

“We want to create more options for our employees to fulfill their duties while minimizing the need to go out of their homes and travel to their places of work,” Villanueva said in a statement.

“Given our worsening traffic situation which is compounded by the partial shutdown of the LRT-2, it’s really high time for employers to consider the benefits of telecommuting,” he added.

His statement comes after the LRT-2 suffered a temporary shutdown last week due to a burning power rectifier. The line resumed partial operations on Tuesday.

READ: LRT-2 back in business, partially

Militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) claimed that Metro Manila is suffering from a “mass transport crisis” after the three major railway systems in the region crashed within a week.

READ: Metro Manila now suffering a mass transport crisis — Bayan

“Hindi po tama na kalbaryo araw araw ang turing ng mga manggagawang bumabyahe para magtrabaho at buhayin ang kanilang mga mahal sa buhay,” he said.

[It is not right for commuters to suffer every day just to get to work and bring up their loved ones.]

With this, Villanueva, who is the author and principal sponsor of the Republic Act 11165 or the Telecommuting Law, said that the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) is currently reviewing what jobs can be classified under a “telecommuting arrangement.”

“Para po sa kapakanan ng ating mga manggagawa, hinihikayat natin ang DOLE na itaas pa ang kaalaman tungkol sa batas na ito,” Villanueva said.

[For the sake of our workers, we are encouraging Dole to release some facts of the particular law.]

The Telecommuting Law, or “Work from Home” Law, was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on Dec. 20, 2018. /muf

READ: Work from home is now a law