Fuel price surge pushes need for hybrid work — PEZA

Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Director-General Charito Plaza believes that hybrid working arrangements should be implemented due to the increasing fuel and transportation prices in the country.
In a statement, Plaza said that the Philippines is not only dealing with the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, “but also the domino effect of the ongoing war in Ukraine and Russia on the global market.”
“The least we can do is help bring back our thriving economy, but not at the expense of our investors who help keep [our] economy afloat,” added the PEZA official.
During a meeting last month, the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) rejected PEZA’s plea to extend WFH arrangements for registered IT-BPO firms and reiterated that they have to go back to their offices on April 1 or risk losing their tax incentives.
Plaza disclosed that they are coordinating with the IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) to convince FIRB on a hybrid work scheme.
The two organizations are proposing three schedules to adopt the ratio of 60% WFH: 40% on-site; 40% WFH: 60% on-site; or 50% WFH-50% on-site staggered implementations.