Senator Grace Poe on Tuesday warned of a possible exodus by major international companies should the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) continue its “heavy-handed” policies, such as its opposition to hybrid work arrangements for information technology-business process management (IT-BPM) companies.
In a privilege speech, Poe raised the “impasse” between the FIRB and Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA)-registered firms on the policy of onsite and remote work.
“As chairperson of the committee on public services, I have seen firsthand how excessive meddling by bureaucrats can choke out innovation. The FIRB’s heavy-handed policies appear to be headed in the same direction. This is a clear example where government is the problem, not the solution,” Poe said.
“Do we really want major international companies like Accenture, Amazon, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, JPMorgan Chase, and Paypal leave for our competitors in India or Vietnam? I don’t think we should let this happen,” she added.
The lawmaker explained the health and financial benefits of hybrid work for Filipino workers who usually use mass transportation.
In the past year, Poe said the average citizen of Mega Manila spent a total of 188 hours stuck in traffic and probably longer during rainy days.
Around P56,000 was also spent by an employee on commuting expenses, excluding the cost of food and cellular data, she added.
In contrast, a work-from-home employee saves four hours daily or 20 hours if an individual is working five times a week.
Poe cited a study that said employees saved P340,000 a year due to the hybrid work arrangement during the pandemic.
Also, she said working from home paid dividends in terms of physical, emotional, and mental health.
“Mr. President, it is clear that hybrid work is here to stay. Adopting it is a no-brainer. It will improve our productivity and health, reduce our expenses and make us more competitive,” she argued.
To formally discuss this in the chamber, Poe filed Senate Resolution 124 which urges the appropriate Senate committee to review the implementation of Republic Act No. 11165 or the “Telecommuting Act”, with the end goal of promoting work from home and hybrid work arrangements in the country.
“Let’s continue to close the digital divide by improving our internet services, starting by passing the Better Internet bill, the Open Access in Data Transmission Act, and other similar measures. Finally, we should push back on agencies who refuse to think ‘outside the cubicle,'” she said.
“Let’s work together to turn work into something that we do, not something we only need to go to. We work to live, not live to work and die,” she ended. — DVM, GMA News
Poe warns of exodus by major companies if FIRB continues policy vs hybrid work
Source: News Panda Philippines
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