Gov't wants workers in offices to spur spending

With the shift to Alert Level 1 of Metro Manila and 38 other areas from March 1 to 15, 2022, the government is encouraging the full return of the work at office setup to stimulate spending and shore up the economy.

"We will encourage more on-site presence, dati kasi ang ini-encourage natin work from home, ngayon physical presence na," Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez said on Monday's Talk to the People.

"This will stimulate spending kasi 'pag lumalabas ang tao mas maraming gastusan papunta at pauwi, so nabubuhay ang business around the area, mas maraming natutulungan na MSMEs (micro small and medium enterprises)," he said at the weekly Cabinet briefing presided by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Loez, however, clarified that work from home arrangement remains an option.

"Work from home will still be there, but it's optional.  Hindi natin ini-encourage ngayon now that we are moving toward Alert Level 1 and we want to stimulate more economic activities," he said.

With the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the government placed the country under enhanced community quarantine, the strictest form of lockdown on March 17, 2020.

Classes and all school activities in all levels were temporarily suspended and mass gatherings were prohibited.

Work in government and private offices were conducted in a work from home arrangement.

The de-escalation to Alert Level 1 was approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for areas with over 80 percent vaccination rate of the target population, COVID-19 positivity rate of less than 5 percent, among other metrics.

Bounce back

Under Alert Level 1, Lopez said businesses will be allowed to operate at 100 percent operating capacity.  There will be no more age restrictions.  Physical barriers will be removed and digital contact tracing will be optional.

National Economic Development Authority Secretary Karl Chua said the increased activities with the easing of restrictions in areas under Alert Level 1 are expected to generate at least P9.4 billion more per week in the economy.

At least P3 billion more per week in salaries are expected with the return of more workers to their jobs or hiring of new ones, Chua added.

Lopez added from 400,000 to 500,000 jobs are expected to be generated by the shift to Alert Level 1 of selected areas, and around 800,000 jobs over time when the rest of the country is placed under the same alert level.

One of the biggest gainers in the eased alert level is the tourism sector, Chua said.

In 2020, he said contribution of domestic tourism to the economy fell by P1.5 trillion or 7.4 percent of the Gross Domestic Product.

"At least half of that or P750 billion can be recovered with a shift to Alert Level 1," Chua said.

"We also expect transport, hotels, malls, restaurants to improve from the 40 to 85 percent actual capacity under Alert Level 2 to around 70 to 100 percent under Alert Level 1," he added.—LDF, GMA News