Senatorial aspirant Jinggoy Estrada on Saturday, March 26 appealed to the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) to extend the hybrid work set-up of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies.

Estrada said an extension of at least six months would be sufficient for BPO companies and their employees to "adjust to new realities" after almost two years of working from home.

He made the call after FIRB, which is headed by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, said BPO companies must require their workers to physically return to work places by April 1, 2022, or otherwise lose their fiscal incentives.

Estrada said that while he understands the desire of economic managers to revive the economy, the country is still under pandemic.

"We haven’t fully returned to normal. With traffic and high fuel prices, it’s still a challenge to commute to and from work. Likewise, BPO workers have to make adjustments in their respective homes especially on who will take care of their kids or sick relatives," he said.

The aspiring lawmaker noted that BPO companies chose the Philippines and invested huge sums for their business operations.

So for the Philippines to be a competitive country to invest in, investors "need to be flexible and given a free hand to determine the best work model for their benefit, especially during the pandemic".

"Countries like India are our biggest competitors in the BPO sector. If they continue to allow work-from-home arrangements for their workers, why can’t we?" Estrada asked.

Estrada also said the supposed dip in consumer spending and low sales of convenience stores near offices are caused by household spending.

"Employees working in their homes need to eat, too, or buy clothes and other essentials. The demand just shifted from the convenience stores to grocery or food deliveries," he said.