Alternative work schemes sought in Davao City

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The city government of Davao is appealing to government and private establishments to adopt other alternative work arrangements to control the spread of  coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19.

Acting city Mayor Sebastian Duterte recently issued guidelines seeking to limit the number of individuals in a certain area, and avoid social gatherings and crowding in workplaces and establishments.

Duterte issued the guidelines after the clusterings of COVID cases were traced in these areas and spread to households.

Duterte signed Executive Order (EO) 56, urging private companies to adopt other working arrangements apart from the recommendations of the Inter-Agency Task Force and Department of Trade and Industry on operational capacity.

The EO requires government offices and private establishments to adopt other alternative work arrangements from Oct. 26 to Dec. 31.

Duterte cited the need to reduce the number of individuals in offices and establishments as overcrowding, mass gatherings and socializing are prohibited.

“There is a need to avoid close contact among the employees to avert the recurrent mandatory 14-day quarantine whenever one of them tests positive for COVID,” Duterte said.

He said the EO intends to avoid lockdown of offices and ensure continuous operations in government and private companies.

Government offices should implement skeletal workforce, work-from-home and staggered working hours schemes, he said.

“The hours at home will be counted as worked hours as long as the workers complete their tasks,” he said.