Lawmakers running for national seats in the coming elections support the extension of work-from-home arrangement for business process outsourcing workers (BPO) amid pandemic and oil price surge.

Aspiring vice president Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said Friday, March 18, he agrees with the appeal of the BPO workers to extend the setup or a hybrid work scheme until September this year.

Pangilinan stressed that extending the scheme will help the BPO workers and their families as the "pandemic is not yet over" and its threats to people's health remains. It will also help in easing the burden of workers amid the rising fuel prices due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

"Malaking tulong ang matitipid sa gastusin sa pang-araw-araw ng bawat pamilya ng IT-BPO workers ang pagpapatuloy ng work-from-home na setup (It will help ease the the IT-BPO workers' and their families' daily expenses if the work-from-home setup continues)," the senator said.

"Imbes na mapunta sa pamasahe o pang gasolina, ang lumiliit na budget ay mapupunta sa pagkain, upa sa bahay, pambayad ng kuryente at tubig (Instead of spending it for fare or gasoline, the measly budget can be used for food, to pay rent, or electric and water bills)," he added.

Reelectionist Senator Risa Hontiveros also expressed her support for the work-from-home setup extension, saying it is reasonable to let BPO workers continue with the setup to help cushion the effects of rising transport costs.

“I support the extension of the work from home arrangement for workers especially now that we are in the middle of an oil price crisis,” Hontiveros said.

The Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) has rejected the extension of remote work arrangements for BPOs. In case the companies would not comply, they risk having their tax incentives revoked which might harm their business and further delay their recovery.

The lady senator pointed out that the FIRB can always revise these tax incentive terms.

She added that workers must be given an option to opt with the work-from-home setup to ease expenses and travel woes.

Hontiveros said that it is erroneous for the Department of Finance (DOF) to say that it is important to end the work from home scheme to revive the economic demand resulting from the BPO workers’ expenditure.

The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and DOF’s argument against work from home arrangements should not be legalistic, she said.

Pangilinan also expressed opposition over the move, saying "implementing policies without consulting experts from the BPO industry must be stopped."

Pangilinan is the running mate of presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo while Hontiveros is among the Robredo ticket's senatorial bets.