Large companies in economic zones will no longer be required to provide shuttle services to their employees under a new joint issuance of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Instead the ecozone firms are now only “enjoined” to commission services for their workers.
In their Advisory 20-03, Series of 2020, DOLE and DTI made the decision amid the growing availability of public transportation as the government eases quarantine restrictions.
Under the new issuance, companies must implement a “one-seat apart” rule in the shuttle they will provide for their workers. A full seating capacity will only be allowed if the necessary “dividers” will be put in place in the shuttle.
Both agencies also stipulated the contact tracing form to be accomplished by the passengers of the said shuttle service must only be limited to name, contact number of a passenger in line with the Data Privacy Act.
The new issuance, which was signed last Sunday, urged employers to make use of the official digital contact tracing app of the government, StaySafe.ph.
DOLE and DTI said the digital form will not make the contact tracing efforts of private companies more efficient and secure, but also ensure its contents will be integrated in the Covid-19 Documentary Repository System (CDRS) of the Department of Health.
Last September, both agencies mandated large-sized private establishments with total assets of above P100 million located inside special economic zones to provide shuttle services employees after the government stopped the operations of public transportation to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Image credits: Henry Empeño