Poe: Hybrid work arrangements, bigyang pagkakataon

Nanawagan si Sen. Grace Poe sa buong gobyerno na "mag-isip sa labas ng kanilang sulok" at hayaan ang makabagong teknolohiya para sa "hybrid work arrangements" sa bansa na lumakas tungo sa inklusibong paglago ng ekonomiya.

Sa kanyang privilege speech, sinabi ni Poe, "Ang hybrid work ay hindi isang radikal o 'futuristic' na ideyang hindi pa napapanahon. Ito ay isang matagal nang kaibigan na kumakatok muli sa ating pintuan."

Ipinaliwanag ng tagapanguna ng Senate committee on economic affairs na tulad ng mga nakalipas na panahon, ang "versatility" ng remote work ay hindi dapat maliitin.

"Ang hilahan sa tunggalian ukol sa pagpunta sa opisina at pagtatrabaho mula sa kinaroroonan ng isang empleyado ay namamalas natin ng malapitan," diin ni Poe na kasabay binanggit ang pagkakasalungat ng Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) at ng mga kumpanyang rehistrado sa Philippine Economic Zone Authority kaugnay ng wawakasang work-from-home arrangements sa Setyembre 2022.

"Nakita natin kung paanong ang labis na pakikialam ng gobyerno ay sumasakal sa pagbabago. Ang mabigat na patakaran ng FIRB ay patungo rito. Isa itong malinaw na halimbawa kung saan ang pamahalaan ay ang problema sa halip na solusyon," saad ni Poe.

Ayon sa isang pag-aaral na inilabas sa Philippine Review of Economics noong nakaraang taon, aabot sa isang-katlo o one-third ng mga trabaho sa kabisera ng bansa ay may "telework potential" habang 22 milyong manggagawa ay may trabahong "teleworkable."

"Ang 'work from home arrangement' ay nakatulong sa pisikal, emosyonal at mental na kalusugan: 74.2% ang napabuti ang pisikal na pangangatawan; 35.7% ang nagkaroon ng kaaya-ayang pagtatrabaho; at 27.8% ang mas may oras para sa kanilang mga pamilya, ani Poe batay sa ulat ng CISCO global hybrid work nitong taon.

Naghain rin si Poe ng Senate Resolution No. 125 na humihimok sa Senado na magsagawa ng pagdinig ukol sa Telecommuting Act o Republic Act (RA) 11165 para makapaghain ng nararapat na amyenda rito tungo sa pagiging higit na kapaki-pakinabang ng work from home at hybrid work arrangements.

"Kinikilala ng batas ang mga teknolohiyang nagbukas ng mga bago at alternatibong pamamaraan sa pagtatrabaho ng mga empleyado gaya ng telecommuting at iba pang flexible work arrangements," ayon sa resolusyon.

Sa ilalim ng Section 8 ng nasabing batas, inaatasan ang Department of Labor and Employment na magtatag ng isang telecommuting pilot program at magsumite ng ulat ukol dito, dagdag pa ng resolusyon ni Poe.

"Dapat nating sitahin ang mga ahensyang ayaw 'mag-isip sa labas ng kanilang sulok.' Magtulungan tayo para ang trabaho ay maging ating ginagawa at hindi lamang ating kailangang puntahan," pagtatapos ni Poe.

Poe: Give hybrid work arrangement a chance, solve workers' woes, save lives

Sen. Grace Poe asked the entire government to "think outside the cubicle" and allow modern technologies for hybrid work arrangements in the country to thrive in promoting inclusive economic growth.

In her privilege speech, Poe said, "Hybrid work is not a radical, futuristic idea whose time is yet to come. It is an old friend knocking on our door."

The chairperson of the Senate committee on economic affairs emphasized that as it did in the past, remote work has proven its versatility and should not be downplayed or undermined.

"The tug of war between working in the office and working remotely is playing out before our eyes," said Poe, who cited the impasse between the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority-registered firms on terminating work-from-home arrangements by September 2022.

"We have seen firsthand how excessive meddling by bureaucrats can choke out innovation. The FIRB's heavy-handed policies appear to be headed in the same direction. This is a clear example where government is the problem, not the solution," Poe underscored.

A study published in the Philippine Review of Economics last year bared that up to one-third of jobs in the country's capital have telework potential, while 22 million workers' jobs are partially teleworkable, Poe noted.

"Working from home paid dividends in terms of physical, emotional and mental health: 74.2% reported improved physical fitness; 35.7% had a more relaxed working environment; and 27.8% had more time to spend on personal relationships," added Poe, citing the CISCO global hybrid work 2022 study.

Poe has filed Senate Resolution No. 125 urging the Senate to conduct an inquiry into the implementation of the Telecommuting Act or Republic Act (RA) 11165 in order to propose amendments to the measure, with the end goal of promoting work-from-home and hybrid work arrangements.

"RA 11165 recognizes the technological developments that have opened up new and alternative avenues for employees to carry out their work such as telecommuting and other flexible work arrangements," the resolution said.

Section 8 of the law directs the Department of Labor and Employment to establish and maintain a telecommuting pilot program and submit its findings to Congress, Poe further cited in her resolution.

"We should push back on agencies who refuse to think 'outside the cubicle.' Let's work together to turn work into something that we do, not something we only need to go to," Poe ended.