Re: Full Operational Capacity with Flexible Working Arrangement and Limited Personal Filing in the Supreme Court

November 19, 2021

SUPREME COURT MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 110-2021

RE: FULL OPERATIONAL CAPACITY WITH FLEXIBLE WORKING ARRANGEMENT AND LIMITED PERSONAL FILING IN THE SUPREME COURT

Considering that Metro Manila is still under Alert Level 2 until November 30, 2021, wherein agencies and instrumentalities of the government are mandated to be fully operational, all employees of all offices/services/divisions/units in the Supreme Court are now required to report on-site during the period of November 22, 2021 to November 30, 2021.

For purposes of observing physical distancing, considering the limitation of the office spaces of each office/service/division/unit, a flexible working schedule/shifting is hereby implemented, such that one-half of the workforce shall report on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays (MTW shift) while the other half shall report on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays (ThFS shift). It is understood that those employees who are not scheduled to report to the office shall be under WFH arrangement for two (2) days to complete the mandatory 40-hour workweek.

Chiefs of Offices/Services shall determine who among their personnel/staff shall be included in each shift, which can be under rotation every week. The individual health condition of those reporting on-site will be thoroughly checked upon entering the Court's premises. They must not have even the slightest symptoms. They shall be monitored from time to time to ensure that they have no symptoms of COVID-19 infection. The official time for work will be from 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Employees under WFH arrangement are advised to stay home except for extremely urgent personal necessities.

Those who will be physically reporting for the first time after being out of the offices/services/divisions/units for more than fifteen (15) consecutive days must first proceed to the testing center for antigen testing before going to the respective offices/services/divisions/units.

Chiefs of Offices/Services and their assistants need to report for only five (5) days in a week but they must ensure that one of them will report on a Saturday. Likewise, Chiefs of Offices/Services shall continue to submit monthly accomplishment reports of their employees under the WFH arrangement within the first five (5) days of the following month, to the Chief, Office of Administrative Services, Supreme Court, who is also directed to submit a report to the undersigned as to which offices/services/divisions/units failed to comply herewith.

Even if the Court is open on Saturdays, for purposes of computation of time, Rule 22, Section 1 shall still govern. The parties are merely given the option to file their pleadings on Saturdays. Personal filing shall continue to be allowed but only for initiatory pleadings such as motions for extension of time to file petition, petitions for review, or other original petitions requiting payment of docket fees. All other pleadings and court submissions shall continue to he filed electronically under existing e-filing guidelines.

Manila, Philippines, November 19, 2021.

(SGD.) ALEXANDER G. GESMUNDOChief Justice