PEZA-Registered Entities’ Operations During the Enhanced Community Quarantine

While the Memorandum from the Executive Secretary dated 16 March 2020 placed the entire island of Luzon under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) with work in the government and the private sector suspended, the same Memorandum allowed for exceptions such as Business Processing Outsourcing establishments (BPOs) and export-oriented industries.

BPOs and export-oriented industries shall remain operational during the ECQ, subject to their observance of strict social distancing measures, the provision of appropriate temporary accommodation arrangements to their personnel and the implementation of a skeleton workforce.[1]

In Memorandum Circular No. 2020-011 dated 05 March 2020, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) allowed PEZA-Registered I.T. Enterprises to immediately implement courses of action or Business Continuity Plans (BCP) to respond to and/or pre-empt any adverse event caused by COVID-19 without need for a Letter of Authority (LOA) from PEZA prior to implementation. For those that have previously secured LOA for their BCP, COVID-19 may be deemed a BCP-triggered event and any course of action the IT Enterprise may take that is not covered by the BCP may be implemented without securing another LOA.

Click here to read the entire text of PEZA MC No. 2020 – 011.

Click to read the following related articles:

• PEZA Guidelines to Aid Registered Enterprises in Determining Whether to Operate or Not
• Guidelines for the Operations by PEZA-registered Enterprises
• Effect of ECQ on Operating PEZA-Accredited Service Suppliers
• Luzon-wide Enhanced Community Quarantine Basic Do’s and Don’ts

[1] Initially, BPOs and export-oriented entities were given until 18 March 2020 per Memorandum of the Executive Secretary dated 16 March 2020 to provide appropriate temporary accommodation arrangements. This was extended until 20 March 2020 per Memorandum of the Executive Secretary dated 18 March 2020 allowing the transfer necessary equipment to facilitate work from home arrangements and/or to make necessary arrangements with hotels for basic lodging. In Department of Trade and Industry Memorandum Circular No. 20 – 08 dated 20 March 2020 and IATF Resolution No. 14 series of 2020 dated 20 March 2020 , the deadline was further extended to 22 March 2020.