The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and the Philippine National Police have signed the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Joint Industrial Peace and Concern Office (JIPCO) to ensure industrial peace in various economic zones in the country.
Director General Charito “Ching” Plaza together and PNP Chief PGen Debold M. Sinas signed the IRR on Monday, February 15, 2021, at the National Headquarters, Camp Crame, Quezon City.
The signing of the IRR between the PEZA and PNP aims to contribute to providing a safe and globally competitive business environment in economic and freeport zones.
On March 26, 2018, the PEZA and PNP signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the aims to strengthen their partnership for change and development through the creation of the PEZA-PNP JIPCO.
Under the IRR of the MOA between the PEZA and PNP, their partnership is also designed to compose the teams to be assigned, including female police officers to address security issues and cater to complaints, queries, and other concerns in the workplace with the end in view of promoting industrial peace and respect for the rights of labor and management towards achieving a more conducive business environment in the ecozones.
According to the IRR, the PNP is tasked to strictly observe police operational procedures (POP) and respect for human rights shall be paramount at all times.
Likewise, the PEZA Police Force and the PNP will now bring the services of the PNP closer to investors and workers.
This means PNP and PEZA workers will undergo training seminars that are different from the program of instruction adopted by the PNP.
Such trainings will focus more on police relations, crisis resiliency, civilian resistance, and seminars on IED Awareness, Bomb Threats Management, and other related life-saving techniques. Likewise, the IRR signing will enable the PEZA Police Force to craft and implement crime prevention measures, crisis control, and contingency plans in public and private economic zones.
Plaza also emphasized peace and security as important factors of investment in partnership with PNP. “Through the JIPCO and its IRR, we believe this will harness the ease of doing business (EODB) and help provide a safe and secure ecozone environment for all of the Filipino and foreign workers, locators, and investors in ecozones,” said the PEZA Chief.
“On our part in PEZA, we are grateful to PNP’s leadership in sharing with us our cherished mandate and value to uphold the rights of Filipino workers or labor and uphold environmental laws – two of which are the non-negotiables in PEZA’s regulation of industries,” said Plaza.
The PEZA Chief said, “I am confident that investments in the economic zones will be secured and maintained as it continues to prosper, thus, producing more jobs and generating investments, and economic growth for Filipinos.”
Sinas expressed his gratitude and appreciation to PEZA saying that the signing of the IRR best describes their further efforts in protecting the country particularly to the security of economic zones.
“With this IRR, the PNP and PEZA will work together towards sustaining a competitive Philippine export industry and integrated without compromising public safety,” Sinas said.
The PNP Chief also added that the IRR is crafted fair and square for the Filipino people which also possess a strong message to investors most especially abroad that the Philippines is serious in its objectives which PEZA has always upheld through its “one-stop nonstop shop policy.”