DOST vows to help companies prepare against erratic weather

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) vowed to provide full support to industries affected by the unpredictable weather disturbances brought about by climate change, specifically the Business Process Management (BPM) sector.

In an interview with DOST secretary Mario Montejo, he said that his agency is now in close coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to understand better the impact of climate change.

“We should put in place resilient infrastructure,” said Montejo taking into consideration the BPO and IT sectors’ concern that erratic weather has already affected operations of the sectors.

According to Montejo, the government through DOST is now putting in place an advanced weather forecasting that is area-specific.

The Business Process Association of the Philippines (BPAP) president Benedict Hernandez said that the sector needs the help of the government for its effort to improve disaster preparedness program.

Although most BPM companies have already their own preparedness program, the sector needs the support from the government, especially on infrastructure building, and other requirements.

In a statement earlier released by the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) to member companies, it urged BPO and IT firms to be prepared all the time, as about 19 tropical storms enter the country’s area of responsibility, and six to nine of these successfully make landfall. This causes downtime and disruptions at work, which might affect deadlines and deliverables.

IBPAP president Jose Mari Mercado said that companies should employ “standard business continuity program” which are aimed in ensuring continued operations.

Contingency measures should be implemented in cases wherein employees are hindered from going to work due to extreme weather conditions. There should also be tangible support such as generators in case of power failure and reliable connectivity for unfaltering communication. Following these is a disaster recovery plan, which would allow businesses to resume normal operations and service to clients.

Apart from operations, accountability for employee safety is also a top priority. There is a large demand for BPO workers to go to their workplace despite weather disturbances, especially those in customer service or technical support.

In these cases, certain companies provide food to present staff or temporary shelter onsite when travel is no longer possible.

Meanwhile, for those who stay at home, human resources (HR) staff may call each employee early-on to check whether they are safe. Some companies also provide assistance to those affected by storms by offering meals, clothing, or allowances. Others allow employees in affected areas to file for emergency leave without the regular sanctions.

Commitment to service across different customers around the world transcends weather issues. Companies in the country that offer outsourcing and off-shoring services have a responsibility to adopt measures that mitigate the risk of delays and disruptions of operations for satisfactory performance and, just as importantly, that prioritize employee safety, IBPAP said in its statement. /JOB (FREEMAN)