Palace orders skeletal workforce in government offices

MANILA, Philippines — Government offices in Metro Manila will remain fully operational but with limited workforces during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), Malacañang announced yesterday.

In a memorandum, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea ordered government agencies to reduce to not less than 20 percent the number of employees who will physically report for work during the two-week ECQ.

“To ensure continuity of government service, the skeleton workforce will not be less than 20 percent on-site capacity at any given time, with the remainder being under work-from-home arrangements,” the memo read.

Medialdea said agencies providing health and emergency frontline services, laboratory and testing services, border controls as well as other critical services would be allowed up to full on-site capacity.

This is the third time that Metro Manila will be under ECQ since the COVID-19 pandemic struck last year.

Meanwhile, the Valenzuela city hall will operate on a reduced capacity during the lockdown, Mayor Rex Gatchalian said.