Employees of the Department of the Interior and Local Government XII have started ‘regular work’ for the month of May after more than half of the ninety-nine (99) personnel and staff adopted the ‘work-from-home scheme’  for about a month due to the community quarantine.

In a message during the Monday convocation, Director Josephine Cabrido-Leysa, CESO III, welcomed the new batch of employees who were given orders to report to work as the adapt and slowly adjust into the “new normal” as the Region shifts from Enhanced Community Quarantine to General Community Quarantine this week.

Last April 24, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s decision to accept the recommendation of the National Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to place provinces and regions identified as “moderate to low risk areas” for COVID-19 under GCQ.

On Monday, the Regional Office implemented the 14-day work-week and ‘work-from-home’ scheme for some of its employees as compliance to the issued guidelines for GCQ. Those who reported for work were all wearing face masks and strictly complied with the social distancing guidelines.

Under the new work scheme, employees were grouped and scheduled in batches. They serve as the Department’s skeleton force for 14 days or two weeks while others work under work from home arrangements.

Employees then, have to follow strict self-quarantine for 14 days after their two-week workweek schedule while doing their jobs through “work from home scheme.”

An e-attendance portal was developed and is now utilized by the Department to monitor employees who are working at home.

“In the interest of public service, we have implemented this work scheme to ensure that transactions of the Department remain unaffected and unhampered while imposing innovative means to safeguard the health of our employees,” RD Leysa said.

Meanwhile, key personnel to include Division and Unit Heads, Provincial and City Directors, and City and Municipal Local Government Operation Officers (LGOOs) of the Department were mandated to work for the entire four weeks of May.

Director Leysa hopes that the working arrangements may change in the next few months based on the Covid 19 status of the Region. Through its 24/7 Operation Center, the Department continually enforces its oversight function on LGUs while providing them with technical assistance to ensure that LGUs’ response measures to Covid-19 are within the IATF guidelines.