Villanueva: Allow WFH arrangements for companies in ecozones

Senator Joel Villanueva is pushing for a measure allowing businesses registered in investment promotion agencies to adopt a Work-from-Home (WFH) arrangement for their employees while maintaining their tax and fiscal incentives.

The allowance for companies in the Information Technology- Business Process Management (IT-BPM) sector operating in ecozones to adopt a WFH arrangement covering 30% of its workers is set to expire on September 12, 2022.

Villanueva filed Senate Bill No. 135, also known as the "Work-from-Home in Ecozones" bill, amends Republic Act No. 11534, also known as the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (CREATE), to allow registered business enterprises in economic zones and freeports to enter into voluntary hybrid work arrangements without losing their tax incentives.

"Many of our kababayans who have experienced the work-from-home setup are now choosing to resign from their jobs because of the cost in time, money and effort if they are forced to work on-site," he added.

According to the IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines, the WFH arrangement facilitated the creation of 23,000 new jobs in 2020, and another 100,000 new jobs in 2021, with revenues increasing by around 12% in 2021, reaching a total of $28.8 billion or around P1.505 trillion.

"When we passed the Telecommuting Act, one of the issues it aimed to address was decongesting our roads due to the worsening traffic situation in the country. Three years after its passage, the WFH Law became pivotal as the Filipino labor force shifted to alternative modes of work, especially online, because of the nationwide lockdown brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic," the Senator said.

Villanueva was the principal sponsor of the Republic Act No. 11165 of the Telecommuting Act in the 17th Congress, which was passed into law in 2018.

"Kapag hindi pa rin tayo handa sa Fourth Industrial Revolution at nakatali ang ating mga insentibong pangnegosyo sa regulasyong hindi na angkop sa panahon, lalo pong mapag- iiwanan ang bansa at mahihirapan po tayo," Villanueva said.

Aside from the Work From Home in Ecozones bill, the Senator also filed the Adoption of Alternative Work Arrangements Bill (Senate Bill No. 134) and the Freelancers Protection Bill (Senate Bill No. 136) this 19th Congress.

Work from Home sa ecozones, payagan na! - Villanueva

Isinusulong ni Senador Joel Villanueva na payagan ang mga negosyo sa mga ecozones na magkaroon ng work-from-home (WFH) arrangement para sa mga empleyado nito nang hindi nawawala o binabawi ang kanilang tax at fiscal incentives.

Hanggang Setyembre 12, 2022 na lang papayagan ang mga negosyong kabilang sa Information Technology- Business Process Management (IT-BPM) sector na magkaroon ng WFH arrangement para sa 30 porsyento ng kanilang mga empleyado

Inaamyendahan ng Senate Bill No. 135 ni Villanueva na "Work-from-Home in Ecozones Act" ang Republic Act No. 11534, kilala bilang Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (CREATE), upang mapanatili ang mga tax at fiscal incentives ng mga negosyong rehistrado sa mga ecozones at freeports kahit meron silang voluntary hybrid work arrangements sa kanilang mga empleyado.

"Marami sa ating mga kababayan na nakaranas ng work-from-home setup ang mas pipiliin pang mag-resign kaysa mapilitang magtrabaho on-site. Para sa kanila, mas sulit sa oras, gastos, at pagsisikap ang WFH," sabi ni Villanueva.

Ayon sa IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines, nakalikha pa ang WFH arrangement ng 23,000 na bagong trabaho noong 2020 at 100,000 naman noong 2021. Tumaas din ang revenue ng sektor ng 12% noong 2021, na nagkakahalagang $28.8 bilyon o humigit-kumulang na P1.505 trilyon.

"Malubhang trapik po ang isa sa mga primerong isyu na nais malutas ng Telecommuting Act noong ipasa natin ang batas na ito. Matapos ng tatlong taon, mas kilala na po itong Work From Home Law dahil nag-shift na po ang gawi ng pagtatrabaho dahil sa mga nationwide lockdown dulot ng pandemya," sabi ng senador.

Si Villanueva ang principal sponsor at author ng Republic Act No. 11165 o Telecommuting Act noong ika-17 na Kongreso, at naisabatas noong 2018.

"Kapag hindi pa rin tayo handa sa Fourth Industrial Revolution at nakatali ang ating mga insentibong pangnegosyo sa regulasyong hindi na angkop sa panahon, lalo pong mapag- iiwanan ang bansa at mahihirapan po tayo," sabi ni Villanueva.

Maliban sa Work From Home in Ecozones Bill, nag-file din ang senador ng Senate Bill No. 134 na Adoption of Alternative Work Arrangements Bill, at ang Senate Bill No. 136 na Freelancers Protection Bill ngayong ika-19 na Kongreso.