The Department of Education (DepEd) reminded concerned school officials, including both teaching and non-teaching and personnel, of the work arrangement in areas under the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ).
In a memorandum DM-PHRODFO-2020-00251 issued on August 3, DepEd Undersecretary Jesus Mateo reiterated that during MECQ, DepEd offices and school or community learning centers (CLCs) shall only operate with “minimal skeleton workforce.”
He added, these schools or CLCs shall only provide “essential services” while the rest of the personnel shall be on a Work-From-Home (WFH) Arrangement.
Mateo also noted that the supervising Executive Committee and Regional Directors (RDs) shall issue an office order or memorandum with the names of personnel identified as part of the “Skeleton Workforce.”
In the identification of the personnel who will form part of the Skeleton Workforce, Mateo stressed that “individual roles and functions, health and safety conditions, and transportation arrangements of the concerned personnel shall be considered.”
Given this, Mateo also reminded heads of offices to ensure that the workplace is compliant with the necessary safety and health precautions. He added that while the department strives for continuity of basic education services, “we remain committee in protecting the health and safety of our personnel.”
Mateo explained that precautionary measures must be observed at all times “in order to contain the infection and avoid transmission among our personnel and the community that could further hamper service delivery in our offices and schools/CLCs.”
President Duterte placed the National Capital Region (NCR), Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, and Laguna under MECQ from August 4 to 18 to help curb the rising COVID-19 cases in these areas.