Several establishments remain open

MANILA, Philippines - Business tycoon Manny Pangilinan, who owns several public utility companies in the country like telecommunications, power, water, hospital and television networks, yesterday informed President Aquino that he cannot implement the directive suspending work in his companies.

“Being a utility/service or health care company, we cannot declare no work in a time of calamity such as this, since the public expects us to keep our services up,” the owner of Meralco, PLDT/Smart, Makati Medical Center, TV5 and Manila Water said. “However, in the interest of our employees’ safety, if employees cannot come to work or need to secure their homes, management will be lenient in treating any absence,” Pangilinan said in a text message to Aquino, quoting the advisory they sent their firms. 

SM Malls also said they were open “wherever possible for their customers looking for basic necessities or simply seeking alternative venue from home, away from rain and flood.”

The company added that the SM Megamall Event Center has been converted into a relief drop off center for those who want to help those adversely affected by the floods.

Banks, however, yesterday shut down branches in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon even before Malacañang announced work suspension in public and private sectors due to massive flooding.

“Yes, no foreign exchange trading and clearing today,” Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. told The STAR in a text message when asked if the foreign exchange market and clearing operations were halted yesterday.

“BAP (Bankers Association of the Philippines) has issued a memo to member-banks giving them the discretion to open or not today,” he said.

BAP president Alberto Villarosa, in a separate text message, confirmed this, saying that “while it is our obligation to stay open and service the public, we also recognize the need to make sure that our people are safe.”

Meanwhile, the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) gave assurance yesterday that employees who decided to report for work despite the harsh weather condition will be entitled to holiday pay.

In a statement, the BPAP said that according to Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, those who reported for work yesterday are entitled to a 30-percent premium on basic pay.

“Our top priority is the safety of our employees, their families, and the communities we operate from,” said Benedict Hernandez, BPAP president and chief executive officer. – With Louella Desiderio, Prinz Magtulis, Ted Torres