Senator Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian called on government agencies and private companies on Thursday, 23 June, to allow work-from-home setups to help in saving fuel and lessening expenses on transportation costs.
Gatchalian said that adopting the work-from-home arrangement may help improve the quality of life of employees.
“Our office may look empty for some, but we’re practicing work from home arrangement to save on gas, avoid traffic congestion, save time, and eliminate daily commutes. This is the new normal, and working remotely [can be] as productive as those working in an office setting,” Gatchalian said.
He also added that should such government agencies and private companies allow the work-from-home setup to come through, this will alleviate the stress that Filipinos feel towards the almost P100/liter price of petroleum products, next to the price hike in the commuting scene.
The senator also shared that the Civil Service Commission (CSC) has recently allowed government offices to implement alternative work arrangements, and he also pointed out that even before CSC’s decision, there are already some in the private sector that have adopted work-from-home arrangements for their employees.
With Gatchalian’s suggestion, he also cited RA No. 11165 or the “Telecommuting Act”, which states “telecommuting as an alternative work arrangement for employees in the private sector.”
To recall, Gatchalian endorsed his proposal to grant tax incentives to employees who work from home, plus income tax deductions for employers to promote a flexible work arrangement, from Senate Bill No. 1706 which Gatchalian has also co-authored, proposed a P25 reduction from an employee’s taxable income for every hour of work that they have rendered under a WFH setup, pushing to make monthly telecommuting allowances and benefits to not exceed more than nontaxable P2,000.
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