Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Thursday said they are expecting up to 70% of the workforce to return after the some parts of the country, including the National Capital Region, was placed under Alert Level 1.
"Inaasahan namin na aabutin hanggang 70% ang babalik. Malaking bagay 'yan sa ekonomiya, sa trabaho ng ating mga manggagawa," Bello told DZRH.
(We are expecting that there would be up to 70% who are returning. That is a huge deal for the economy, for the jobs of laborers.)
According to Bello, a lot of Filipinos are returning to work because various industries are starting to open up, including restaurant, hotel, manufacturing, and transportation.
No vaccinations will be required to returning employees in workplaces, said the labor secretary, but unvaccinated workers will need to present negative COVID-19 tests before they are allowed to return to work.
"Wala naman basta kung bakunado ka na, pwede ka nang pumasok. Walang requirements. Pero kung hindi ka bakunado, kailangan [magpa-RT-PCR] test ka," he said.
(No requirements. If you are vaccinated, you can return to work. But if you are not vaccinated, you need to have an RT-PCR test.)
Testing is required for unvaccinated employees to ensure that workplaces are safe as more workers return on-site.
"Para naman sa proteksyon ng mga kasamahan mo sa trabaho. Kasi kung hindi ka bakunado, pumasok ka, 'yun pala positive ka, damay lahat 'yung mga kasamahan mo sa opisina. Kailangan may [RT-PCR] test at negative ka para makapasok ka," he said.
(This is to protect your colleagues at work. Because if you are not vaccinated, you report to work, and it turns out you are positive, all of your colleagues are at risk. You need to have a negative RT-PCR test to return to work.)
More Filipinos are starting to return to workplaces even with the pandemic still in tow, after the government placed the Metro Manila and other areas to Alert Level 1 to further revitalize the economy.
