Palace: Gov’t offices remain fully operational with limited workforce on-site during August ECQ for NCR

Malacañang on Wednesday announced that government offices in the National Capital Region (NCR) will remain fully operational with limited workforce on site when Metro Manila goes under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from August 6 to 20.

This is stated under Memorandum Circular 87 issued by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea dated August 3 but released on August 4.

"To ensure continuity of government service, the skeleton workforce will not be less than the 20% on-site capacity at any given time, with the remainder being under work-from-home arrangements," the memo read.

"Nonetheless, agencies providing health and emergency frontline services, laboratory and testing services, border control and other critical services will be allowed up to full on-site capacity," it added.

Likewise, the head of agencies are required to submit the members of their respective skeleton workforce and arrangements in place to ensure unhampered government operations.

The memo also urges legislative and judicial branches of the government as well as constitutional offices, which are independent from the Office of the President, to adopt the provisions of Medialdea's memo.

This is the third time that Metro Manila will be under ECQ, a protocol which is tantamount to lockdown since it only allows essential trips and essential services such as food and medicine to operate. — Llanesca T. Panti/RSJ, GMA News