The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) has given members of the Information Technology Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) registered with the agency until April 8 to submit their letter of request to continue implementing a 30 percent work-from-home arrangement until June 30, 2022.
This was after only 30 percent of IBPAP members have filed for application on March 31, the original deadline.
According to PEZA, each registered business enterprise (RBE) will have to request for a letter of authority (LOA) to allow them to continue the WFH based on the regular 70:30 ratio onsite to offsite ratio.
On Friday, PEZA director-general Charito Plaza was quoted as saying RBEs could still implement a 70:30 hybrid work arrangement despite the denial by the Fiscal Incentives Board of the request of IT-business process management (IT-BPM) RBEs to extend the remote work arrangement.
“The 70 percent export and 30 percent domestic sales allowance and other incentives are provided in the PEZA law (and) the Omnibus Investment Code. IT-BPM companies are export service oriented, hence can observe the 70:30 (rule) as they can outsource their services from the domestic market,” Plaza said.
The ratio is based on headcount.
Plaza has left to the next administration the status of the hybrid work from July 1 onwards but the PEZA board has initially sought for an extension until September when the state of national health emergency expires. This will give the next PEZA board ample time to set appropriate policies for the locators and workers.
An advisory of IBPAP quoted PEZA instructions that RBEs need to submit a letter of request to Plaza per enterprise. – Irma Isip
