No noon break in all government agencies

CEBU, Philippines — The “no noon break” policy is now applicable to all government offices and other relative entities.

At a media forum on Wednesday, the Civil Service Commission in Central Visayas (CSC-Region 7) also clarified that this rule does not directly imply that government employees are disallowed from having their lunch or break.

CSC-7 chief personnel specialist Prolaine Daclan said government workforce may take their breaks but not all at once so that delivery of services will still continue.

“The no noon break policy means that operations of government offices should not stop between 12 noon and 1 p.m.,” she said in a radio-live forum in Cebu City on August 8 hosted by the Philippine Information Agency in Cebu province.

She said while government workers take turns, government services and offices remain uninterrupted and open.

Daclan said it is up to the government office to strategize how its employees can utilize their lunch breaks.

“Half of the workforce may take their break between 11 a.m. and 12 noon while the rest may have between 12 noon and 1 p.m. So it depends to the offices,” she further explained.

She, however, said the workforce may become lean at those periods but at least, public transactions and office are still continuous.

Moreover, she said the newly approved Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery (EODB) Act of 2018 now covers all government offices.

This new national law amends Republic Act 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007.

Daclan said unlike the old policy, it was only strictly imposed on offices rendering frontline services.

But now, it already includes all national government agencies; state colleges and universities; local government units; government-owned and-controlled corporations among other relative offices.

To fully educate government offices of the new law, CSC-7 organizes a region-wide forum that will tackle the provisions and salient points under RA 11032.

CSC-7 Director Editha Luzano said the regional office invited more than 200 heads of offices, such as directors and local chief executives, to participate with the forum whose speakers are from CSC head office in Manila.

The forum, slated for September 27, is one of the activities lined up for the upcoming celebration of the 118th anniversary of Philippine Civil Service here in the region next month.

This year’s event carries the theme, “Lingkod Bayani: Maka-diyos, Makatao, Makabayan,” wherein the agency intends to remind government workers of their important role in exemplifying love of God and country, building a citizen-centric government, and promoting concern in public service. — MBG (FREEMAN)