MANILA – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday assured the public of continuous delivery of services and assistance amid the four-day work week that is now being implemented in all government agencies in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
The Office of the President released on March 6 Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 114 directing all government agencies and instrumentalities to strictly adopt energy conservation protocols, including the adoption of flexible work arrangements.
“Matatandaan po na inaprubahan ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ang flexible work arrangements para sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno, kasama ang DSWD. Makakaasa po kayo na hindi maaantala ang mga programa at serbisyo ng aming departamento (President Marcos has approved the flexible work arrangement for government agencies, including the DSWD. Be assured that programs and services of the department would not be delayed),” DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a statement on Monday.
In accordance with MC No. 114, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian immediately issued a memorandum for the implementation of compressed work week (CWW) arrangements within the Central Office and its Field Offices nationwide.
“To effectively comply with these national conservation mandates while ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of our social protection services, the DSWD Central Office and Field Offices, including the satellite offices, are hereby directed to adopt the CWW arrangement,” Gatchalian’s memorandum read.
The CWW refers to an arrangement where the 40 hours work for five days is compressed to four 4 days, and that DSWD personnel are required to render 10 hours of work per day.
To ensure the continuous and uninterrupted delivery of service, the following DSWD frontline programs and services will remain open and operational for the entire week: Disaster Response Command Center (DRCC); Crisis Intervention Program/Units; Pag-abot Program; Minors Traveling Abroad; Walang Gutom Program, including Walang Gutom Kitchen; centers and residential care facilities.
All Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) provincial, city and municipal staff are also exempted from the 4-day work week.
In case of disasters, all the DSWD personnel under the Disaster Response Management Group will be on standby for onsite operations.
“All of our offices that extend immediate assistance are still open five days a week. These include the DRCC which monitors weather disturbances and other calamities; the satellite offices that process the AICS; our reach out program for families in street situations; the issuance of travel clearance for minors travelling abroad; our Walang Gutom Kitchen; and all centers and residential care facilities of the DSWD),” Dumlao said.
