THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) urged government to prioritize ecozone workers in the mass testing for the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to ensure early and smooth resumption of operations.
Theo Panga, deputy director-general of PEZA said the agency has asked the Department of Finance , Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Health to include in the priority implementation of antibody rapid test kit (ARK) the ecozone workers whose employer-locator companies are mostly small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“ Our economic zone workers are the country’s economic engines as they provide critical support to the operations of business process outsourcing companies and ecozone export producers, which remain as the country’s top economic drivers,” said Panga, adding exports of from PEZA companies account for 80 percent of the country’s total shipments.
Panga said PEZA agrees massive COVID testing remains a critical strategy to lift the enhanced community quarantine but acknowledges not all Filipinos will have access to the tests due to limited resources.
According to Panga, PEZA director-general Charito Plaza has reached out to ecozone investors and stakeholders to support the ARK by donating test kits and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) equipment to accelerate the mass screening of ecozone workers and the residents of the communities around the ecozones.
By mobilizing their corporate social responsibility funds, these companies will help expand the ARK coverage to the ecozone workers as well as to residents in their host barangays.
Panga noted the importance of early detection for COVID-19 among ecozone workers in making the community safer for business process outsourcing companies and ecozone export manufacturers which are allowed to operate even during ECQ.
“It becomes imperative to ensure that they are COVID-free pursuant to the government’s objective to keep the economy afloat by sustaining the needed jobs and exports while protecting public health and safety during the state of public health emergency,” he said.
Panga assured conduct of mass screening in ecozones can easily be managed as the locator company workers are confined in the zones or are housed within the immediate vicinity of the ecozones.
Private sector-led
Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez in a radio interview on Saturday urged private companies to conduct COVID-19 testing on their employees so they can resume operations. Presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion bared ProjectARK massive rapid testing
for use of private companies to their workers and to residents in communities where their businesses are located.
The initiative will help identify persons with antibodies against the virus and possible convalescent plasma donors.
Data generated will enable businesses identify which of its workers are fit to go back to work
In a typical export ecozone, the ProjectARK can easily cover 50,000 to 100,000 workers.
