DOLE suspends work in its Metro Manila offices due to COVID-19

DOLE main office.

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Thursday announced that it will temporarily close its central and regional offices in the National Capital Region from Jan. 14 to 17, amid rising cases of COVID-19.

In a memorandum, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III directed all heads of offices, services and bureaus, including the NCR regional office to resume work on Jan. 18, noting “the increasing number of cases in the department.”

According to Bello the number of infected officials and staff increased to 128 as of Thursday, or about 21 percent of DOLE’s central office personnel of around 600.

This announcement also came after Bello earlier directed all DOLE offices and attached agencies to implement alternative work arrangements, including work from home, for their personnel.

“Skeletal workforce shall be limited to those performing or providing essential services,” Bello said in an administrative order issued on Tuesday, which will take effect until January 30.

However, personnel in the offices of the Secretary, undersecretaries and assistant secretaries, and office of the directors are not included in the flexible work arrangements.

The country is currently in the middle of an exponential rise in COVID-19 infections, with the Department of Health earlier reporting 34,021 new cases of the new coronavirus, the highest ever since the pandemic started in 2020.

Active cases in the country are now at 237,387, with 3,092,427 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

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JPV