Hontiveros reiterates call for 'work-from-home' option amidst COVID-19

Senator Risa Hontiveros reiterated her call for a 'work from home' option after a company in Taguig confirmed that an employee tested positive for the 2019 novel coronavirus or COVID-19.

"It is in the interest of workers' health," Hontiveros said on Thursday, asking employers to provide the said 'work from home' option for employees. "Kung pwede namang hindi araw-araw pumasok at mag-commute, mas maiiwasan natin ang risk of transmission," she explained.

Currently, it is unclear if the employee of a professional service firm in Taguig is one of the two confirmed cases in the country recently reported by the Department of Health [DOH].

The Senator also expressed concern about the safety of workers doing frontline services and of those in the service sector. "Mas mataas ang risk kapag nasa frontline at kapag nasa service sector kasi maraming nakakasalamuhang tao araw-araw. Extra protective measures should be provided by employers," she said.

"Dapat may access sa running water, sabon, alcohol, at hand sanitizer ang mga empleyado sa loob ng pagawaan," she added.

The Senator also said that local transmission may be spreading 'under the radar of the health department.' "Local transmission is a real danger. We have the responsibility to protect everyone, including the working public, from this danger by informing them of the real situation," Hontiveros concluded.