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DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 25 March) – Four Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies here will be closed for not complying with an order issued by the local government requiring them to either operate with a skeletal staff to maintain unimpeded service or offer work from home arrangements for employees.
In a live interview at the Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) 87.5, Duterte said that 10 BPO companies had already voluntarily terminated their operations while the threat of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) subsists.
She said a team of government inspectors cleared 33 companies for complying with Executive Order (EO) 20, issued on Monday, and subjected 11 others for revalidation after they vowed to comply.
Section 17 of EO 20, adopting provisions of Memorandum Circular (MC) 20-08 Series 2020 of Department of Trade Industry issued on March 19, provides that BPO/ Call Centers must either enforce “skeletal workforce with social distancing and appropriate temporary accommodation arrangements within the vicinity and with shuttle service” or “work from home arrangements.”
EO 20 warns that non-compliant companies would be immediately closed if their managements would not adhere to either of the two options.
The mayor noted that BPOs “are considered a mass gathering. If one of them gets sick they can infect others because of the character of COVID-19, which is highly contagious.” (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)