Government agencies 100% back to work

MANILA, Philippines — All state agencies and instrumentalities in areas under the most lenient Alert Level 1 would adhere to a 100-percent on-site workforce in line with guidelines that allow offices and establishments to operate at full venue capacity, Malacañang said yesterday.

Memorandum Circular No. 96 signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Feb. 28 aims to ensure that government agencies remain fully operational, regardless of the alert level of the area where they are located.

“There is a need to balance the health considerations and the continuous delivery of public services, consistent with the updated Alert Level System for dealing with COVID-19 in the country,” the circular read.

For Alert Level 2, all agencies and instrumentalities must adhere to at least 80 percent on-site workforce. For areas under Alert Level 3, at least 60 percent of government workers should work on site. Under Alert Level 4, the required on-site work force is at least 40 percent of the personnel of that government office.

For areas under the most stringent Alert Level 5, agencies should have a skeleton workforce on-site while the rest of the personnel will be covered by alternative work arrangements as approved by the head of the agency unless a greater on-site capacity is required such as those involved in health and emergency frontline services, laboratory and testing, border control and other critical services.

Areas that are under Alert Level 1 from March 1 to 15 are Metro Manila, Abra, Apayao, Baguio City and Kalinga in the Cordillera Administrative Region; Dagupan City, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan in the Ilocos region; Batanes, Cagayan, City of Santiago, Isabela and Quirino in Cagayan Valley; Angeles City, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Olongapo City, Pampanga and Tarlac in Central Luzon; Cavite and Laguna in CALABARZON; Marinduque, Puerto Princesa City, and Romblon in MIMAROPA; and Naga City and Catanduanes in Bicol region.

In the Visayas, Aklan, Bacolod City, Capiz, Guimaras, Siquijor and Biliran are under Alert Level 1.

Meanwhile, Mindanao areas that will be under the most relaxed alert status are Zamboanga City in the Zamboanga Peninsula; Cagayan de Oro City and Camiguin in Northern Mindanao; and Davao City in the Davao region.