(Simula sa Abril) BPO FIRMS BALIK SA ON-SITE WORK

PABABALIKIN na ng information technology-business process management (IT-BPM) companies ang lahat ng kanilang mga empleyado sa opisina simula sa Abril 1 makaraang ibasura ng Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) ang kahilingan nito na palawigin ang remote-work arrangements.

Sa isang statement nitong Miyerkoles, sinabi ng Department of Finance (DOF) na pinagtibay ng inter-agency FIRB ang Resolution No, 19-21 nito, na nagpapahintulot sa IT-BPM firms sa economic zones na magpatupad ng work-from-home (WFH) arrangements para sa 90% ng kanilang workforce hanggang Marso 31, 2022 lamang.

“The decision of the Cabinet-level inter-agency board, during its February 21 meeting, to stand by its Resolution No. 19-21 denies the request of certain groups to implement extensions to the adoption of the WFH arrangement for the IT-BPM sector until after March 2022,” ayon sa  DOF.

Magugunitang isinusulong ng Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) ang pagpapalawig sa WFH arrangements para sa mga kompanyang matatagpuan sa economic zones hanggang Setyembre 12, 2022.

Ang desisyon ng  inter-agency body na ibasura ang kahilingan para sa extension at pagtibayin ang nauna nitong resolution ay nangangahulugan na dapat bumalik ang IT-BPM firms workers para sa on-site duty simula Abril 1, 2022.

“The WFH arrangement is only a time-bound temporary measure adopted during the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the increasing vaccination rate of Filipinos nationwide, we can now undertake safe measures for physical reporting of employees, including those working in the IT-BPM firms operating within ecozones and freeports,” sabi ni Finance Secretary and FIRB chairman Carlos Dominguez III.

“The employees’ return to the office would provide more opportunities and pave the way for the recovery of local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that depend on IT-BPM employees for their livelihood,” dagdag pa ni Dominguez.

Ang mga kompanyang matatagpuan sa economic zones na mabibigong sumunod sa kautusan ng FIRB ay hindi makatatanggap ng fiscal incentives tulad ng income tax holidays at 5% tax sa gross income earned.