Labor inspections halted amid community quarantine
CEBU CITY, Philippines — All labor-related inspections in establishments in Central Visayas are temporarily halted amid the ongoing community quarantine here.
Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) Regional Director Salome Siaton said the halt in the inspections is to exercise extra caution against the spread of the coronavirus disease.
DOLE-7 Director Salome Siaton. | DOLE -7 Photo
Among the inspections that the labor department conducts in businesses are routine inspections, complaint inspections, and Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) investigation.
The Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) on Tuesday announced that the entire region, except for Cebu City, will already graduate to general community quarantine (GCQ) on Saturday, May 16, 2020.
Cebu City, meanwhile, remains under a modified ECQ due to the still-rising number of COVID-19 cases here. At present, Cebu City has over 1,600 cases of the coronavirus infection.
The cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu are currently conducting mass testing using rapid antibody tests for COVID-19 in hopes of opening its economy again by the end of May.
READ: Economic-health balance sought in deciding Cebu HUCs shift to modified ECQ
Siaton, however, said the routine inspections, which look into the labor standards compliance of establishments, may still be suspended even when the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in their areas of operations are lifted.
Conducting the inspections would not be prudent and effective considering the rate of the infection in especially in the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Cebu, she said.
“The conduct of which might expose not only the labor inspectors but also the employees or employers to big risks. As of now, all of us have to be proactive. Safety first,” Siaton said in an e-mailed statement.
This policy is also pursuant to DOLE Department Order no. 213 setting guidelines in the prescription of actions in the department which was released last May 5. / dcb
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