Employees express concern over DTI chief’s remote work statement
Filipino workers are voicing out their concerns on Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez’s statement that discourages the work-from-home setup under the COVID-19 Alert Level 1.
Local employees are worried about commuting costs, long traffic hours, and office ventilation issues when full-time office work continues.
In a Facebook post, a user commented that since traffic is still a common problem in the country, the jobs that can be done remotely should stay that way.
Citing a report by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the country could lose P3.5 billion daily due to traffic congestion in Metro Manila as some employees could not immediately work if stuck in traffic for hours.
Without new transportation infrastructure, the loss can rise to P5.4 billion daily by 2035, according to the JICA chief representative of the Philippines.
Others similarly shared sentiments about the increase in gas prices and how it would affect drivers and commuters. Some workers also raised their concerns on office ventilation in light of the COVID-19 virus.
Most Filipino employees are now advocating for a hybrid setup instead of full-time office work.
