Partido Reporma presidential candidate Senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson and running mate Senate President Vicente “Tito” C. Sotto III favor bringing Filipinos back to onsite or face-to-face work and school because it would be good for the country’s sagging economy.

But the longtime public servants who continued their campaign sortie in Sorsogon province yesterday also pushed for enhanced internet services across the country to make telecommuting, which became the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic, possible for the industries and businesses that wish to continue their existing work-from-home (WFH) arrangements.

Lacson and Sotto said the country missed a chance to build a stronger internet “highway” during the Arroyo administration when the government botched a deal for the national broadband network, and said it was time for the country to fully invest in information and communications technology (ICT).

"The economy will be hurt if we insist on work-from-home (setups). On-site work is good. Let the children out, allow them to have face-to-face classes, then (apply COVID-19) Alert Level 1, so the economy will move, definitely,’’ Lacson pointed out.

Lacson echoed the estimate of Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua that the country loses P11 billion a week with Covid-19 lockdowns or higher pandemic alert levels.

But by opening up the economy with enhanced activity, the country would gain P16-billion a week in terms of goods and services as defined by its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the three-term senator added.

While some workers have argued that they are more productive with a WFH setup, vice-presidential bet Sotto said it really depends on the industry involved.

The current Senate chief said some would be covered by the Telecommuting Act authored by Senator Joel Villanueva and then - Makati Representative Monsour del Rosario – now one of Partido Reporma’s senatorial candidates.

"Telecommuting is OK depending on the line of work, some are okay (with) work-from-home, but not everything, in general, is meant for work-from-home – no. That’s how we see it. Like my messenger at the office, he’s a messenger, but he approaches me and says, ‘Sir, can I work from home? I’ll hit you, I told him. A messenger, work-from-home?),’’ he added.

To fully enable telecommuting, Lacson said the government should invest in its own Department of ICT, which until recently was headed by Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan – his and Sotto’s former “Macho Bloc” colleague in the Senate who is running to return to the chamber in the May 9 elections.

Had the national broadband network not been derailed by the NBN-ZTE scandal during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Philippines would have internet connectivity that would rival that of South Korea, where faster connections and digitalization are saving its government a whopping $25 billion (P1.25 trillion) a year, the presidential bet stressed.

“This was relayed to us by Senator Honasan when he accompanied the President (Rodrigo Duterte), being the presumptive secretary of DICT (at the time), and they went to South Korea,” Lacson said.

“Can you just imagine that? We would just invest P18 billion to P30 billion, and the national broadband highway would have been finished. The problem is, it was not funded by the Executive branch (under President Arroyo). We were insisting it’s about time that we invest in the DICT, on internet service,” the presidential bet added.