Revised COVID-19 Guidelines on Service Continuity and Precautionary Measures in the Workplace

April 13, 2020

DA ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 12, S. 2020

 

Pursuant to the Memorandum from the Executive Secretary dated 07 April 2020 on the Extension of the Enhanced Community Quarantine over the entire Luzon until 30 April 2020 and Further Guidelines for the Management of the Corona Virus Diseases 2019 (COVID-19) Situation, the Department of Agriculture's revised guidelines on enhance community quarantine on service continuity are as follows:

1. A work-from-home arrangement shall be imposed during the enhanced community quarantine period in the National Capital Region and the entire Luzon area.

2. The Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS) which is performing critical services as provided under Item No. 4 herein shall be in full operation during the entire duration of the enhanced community quarantine until 30 April 2020.

3. Essential and frontline offices and services including the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE), Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS), Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF), Regional Field Offices (RFOs) as well as the information and Communications Technology Service (ICTS), Field Operations Service (FOS), Financial and Management Service (FMS), and Administrative Service (AS) shall maintain a workforce of up to 50% of their respective personnel complement. The Planning and Monitoring Service (PMS), Policy Research Service (PRS), Internal Audit Service (IAS), Project Development Service (PDS), Legal Service (LS) and all other offices shall work under the work-from-home arrangement.

4. Other critical services, such as but not limited to the following, are considered in full operation:

a. Functions on the regular monitoring of supplies of stocks at various points of the supply chain;

b. Facilities in giving exemption to transportation engaged in the delivery of food, including the inputs of production;

c. Frontline services involved in the monitoring to ensure the subject goods reached its final destination;

d. Anything related to regulatory functions such as, but not limited to, laboratory services, border control and quarantine services.

5. The SCPMT shall ensure adequate personnel for the frontline and emergency services of the Department are deployed through the alternative work arrangement (e.g., issuance of permits, Price monitoring/enforcement, KADIWA ni Ani at Kita, etc.)

6. Priority for work-from-home arrangement shall be those personnel who are at high risk of being infected, i.e., those sixty (60) years old and above, those immunocompromised or with co-morbidities, and pregnant women.

7. Work-from-home arrangements should be communicated by the office heads, provided they require submission of daily accomplishment reports to their supervisors and documented thru email and other collaborative tools using the internet.

8. Skeletal workforce manning the frontline and emergency services are provided with free shuttle services, masks and lunch.

9. Electronic media of communication, such as but not limited to, IP Telephony, teleconferencing facilities and applications, online office productivity and collaboration tools, and social media shall be availed of to minimize person to person contact subject to the guidelines under the DA ICT-Public Service Continuity Policy for COVID-19.

10. The SCPMT shall adopt a monitoring mechanism during the implementation of the alternative work arrangement.

11. The Regional Field Offices (RFOs) are directed to form their respective SCPMT and shall carry out the same principles, strategies, mechanisms or approaches on service continuity and in the imposition of precautionary measures in the workplace.

I. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES IN THE WORKPLACE

The following precautionary measures are hereby enjoined:

A. All personnel are required to cooperate in the Community Quarantine efforts of the government.

B. All personnel on duty shall observe proper handwashing and use hand sanitizers or alcohol as often as necessary (e.g., 9:00am; 12:00nn; 3:00pm).

C. Personnel with medical and/or paramedical background shall be tapped to form an ad hoc medical unit. These personnel are required to submit a weekly report to the SCPMT.

D. All mass gatherings or big events within the Department shall not be allowed. However, essential work-related meetings may continue so long as strict social distancing, defined as the strict maintenance of a distance of one (1) meter radius between and among those attending is maintained during entirety of the event.

o Ceremonies for flag raising and flag retreat shall be suspended.

E. The General Services Division of each office shall submit a report on disinfection operations in their premises to the SCPMT.

F. All personnel and visitors shall be subject to mandatory thermal scanning and use of hand sanitizer/alcohol upon entry.

o Those with body temperature of 37.8ºC and above shall be denied entry and shall be advised to seek immediate medical attention. Concerned personnel shall inform their supervisor of such condition.

o Those with normal body temperature but with cough and cold may be allowed entry shall be required to wear a face mask.

o These on duty or visitors who subsequently exhibit COVID-19-like symptoms after being allowed entry into the DA premises shall be immediately escorted by the security personnel or those with medical or paramedical background to the designated Holding Area before conveyance to a hospital.

G. Any DA personnel, (plantilla and CoS), who exhibits COVID-19-like symptoms (fever, coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty of breathing, chills, body aches, sore throat, headache, diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, and runny nose) or has been exposed to persons infected with COVID-19 must immediately inform his/her supervisor; voluntarily seek medical attention; and/or go on self-quarantine for 14 days to be reckoned from date of discovery of symptoms. The concerned personnel shall be considered a "suspect."

H. All visitors are required to conscientiously fill-out the prescribed Declaration/Locator Form (Annex "A"). These who have travelled to any country affected by COVID-19 shall be denied entry into the DA premises.

o Further, all DA personnel shall likewise be required to conscientiously fill-out the prescribed Declaration/Locator Form immediately upon effectivity of this Order. Failure to comply or any misdeclaration on the part of the personnel shall subject him/her to disciplinary action.

o All accomplished forms shall be submitted to the designated personnel (e.g., medical personnel) for health assessment and appropriate action.

I. Any personnel who arrived from any country declared by WHO and/or DOH as affected COVID-19 shall undergo mandatory self-quarantine to monitor the signs and symptoms of the disease. The concerned personnel shall be considered a "suspect."

These Guidelines shall take effect immediately until revoked.

For strict compliance.

(SGD.) WILLIAM D. DAR, Ph.D.Secretary