To help contain and prevent further spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and protect the health of all PMO employees as they continue to deliver public services amid the current virus threat, the PMO MO/C has hence implemented alternative work arrangements, and provided free face masks and service shuttle to ferry personnel to and from work.

Starting 23 March 2020 until 14 April 2020 or as the circumstances may warrant, frontline personnel have a compressed schedule or four (4)-day work week rendering 10 hours of service a day, while PMO support personnel have the Work-from-Home scheme, wherein they will be reporting in the Office only two (2) working days a week. Notwithstanding, they will continue to do their respective tasks at home and attend to inquiries via email and/or phone. These work schemes are prescribed under the Civil Service Commission Announcement No. 12, s.2020 and PPA Memorandum Circular No. 07-2020.

Moreover, the Administrative Division began to distribute washable face masks to all employees in the Baseport and Terminal Management Offices of Balingoan and Camiguin including the outsourced personnel, in lieu of surgical masks which are presently in high demand but in limited supply in the Region. Handmade face shields were also produced by the PMO for the frontline personnel including security personnel.

Shuttle services were also arranged to ferry personnel to and from work. However, all shuttle drivers shall observe passenger limit of not more than half of their regular passenger capacity and proper distancing of the passengers from one another (one seat apart).

Furthermore, in order to reduce exposure to the virus which may be brought by face to face transactions, the PMO advises the public especially the port users to communicate and transact with the Office through electronic media (e.g emails, fax, telephone) whenever practicable, per Port Advisory/Bulletin/Announcement (PABA) OPM 01-2020. Additionally, they are urged to wear the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as face masks and observe social distancing when transacting in the Ports.

The PMO has already emplaced footbaths and hand wash stations in the Administrative Buildings at Baseport. Use of biometric time clock was earlier suspended to reduce the employees’ contact on frequently touched surfaces. Bundy clocks are temporarily being used in the Administrative Buildings 1 and 2.