ILOILO City – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) urged workers in Western Visayas to wear face shield at work.
This new regulation takes effect on Aug. 15 although the regional office said it is still waiting for an official written order from its central office and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
“Ang aton panugyan is to prepare sang ila face shield….Wala pa official policy ginhatag ang aton government (but) that is already in the works. We are expecting the formality na lang. Ang kulang na lang are the interim guidelines,” said DOLE Region 6 information officer Niezel Anen Sabrido.
Speaking to reporters in Antipolo City on Wednesday, Labor secretary Silvestre Bello III said, “Effective Aug.15 hindi lang face mask ang gamitin mo, kasama na ang face shield. So, ‘yun ang bagong protocol ngayon.”
But even before DOLE thought of the face shield policy, according to Sabrido, some workplaces in Western Visayas were already encouraging their personnel to wear face shields as an added layer of protection against COVID-19.
“If they can start wearing face shield sa ila mga offices, well and good,” said Sabrido.
In Metro Manila, Bello said, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has proposed that employers purchase face shields for their employees.
“Ang proposal ng IATF is for the employer, tutal one time lang naman – minsan ka lang bibili baka hindi naman masyadong mabigat,” Bello said.
He warned that employers may be held liable for non-observance of the health measure in the workplace and might cause the closure of the establishment.
Bello also said workers may not be allowed to enter the workplace if they will not follow the new health protocol.
Last week in Memorandum Circular No. 2020-014, the Department of Transportation said commuters are required to wear face shields in public transport starting Aug. 15.
The agency earlier said the wearing of face shield and mask, aside from physical distancing, effectively reduce the transmission of the coronavirus by as much as 99 percent.
The government has earlier encouraged the use of face shields not only in workplaces and public transport but also in public areas such as markets, hospitals, and quarantine facilities.
2,840 WV DISPLACED
DOLE-6 also reported that 2,840 workers have been displaced in the region as a result of the coronavirus pandemic as of Aug. 10.
Sabrido said the workers were from 334 establishments that permanently closed or implemented a reduction of workers.
Most of those affected were from the accommodation and food service activities sector.
“Region 6 is usually tourism-driven so we have a lot of affected establishments and workers from the tourism sector,” said Sabrido.
Also, the administrative and support service; manufacturing; information and communication; and wholesale-retail, motor vehicles, and motorcycles were among those greatly affected.
“What we did right now is we conduct learning sessions where we discuss unemployment insurance benefit that they can claim from SSS (Social Security System) and they can also apply with DOLE-TUPAD (Tulong Panghanapbuhay para sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers) through their local government as long as they are qualified,” she said.
Sabrido added they are waiting for the passage of the Bayanihan We Heal as One Act 2 for them to come up with specific programs for displaced workers.
Displaced workers are advised to coordinate with their local Public Employment Service Office (PESO) for available jobs in the region. (With a report from the Philippine News Agency/PN)
