PEZA OKs 30 percent WFH for registered IT-BPOs and enterprises until September 12

IT BPO companies in economic zones registered under the Philippine Economic Zone Authority could still implement a 70-30 hybrid work arrangement.

File photo: BPO employees working in the office

Going back to the regular ratio of 70-30

PEZA Director-General Charito Plaza Director General Charito Plaza just announced that the institution is accepting applications for the hybrid work arrangement. IT-BPO companies and RBEs intending to avail of this work arrangement shall individually apply by sending their applications to PEZA. 

This means that PEZA-registered information technology-business process outsourcing (IT-BPOs) and registered business enterprises (RBEs) will need to submit the necessary requirements if the return to office is not possible after April 1. 

To recap, we had a report that the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) turned down requests to extend remote-work arrangements. But PEZA filed an appeal, expressing its support for the proposal of the IBPAP for a hybrid working arrangement for IT-BPO firms.

Now, the said committee is issuing a Letter of Authority (LOA) to any interested registered enterprises applying for a hybrid operation prior to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. Plaza added,

Now that pabalik na tayo sa normal, gusto ng ating gobyerno na (maging) normal na rin ang takbo ng ating ekonomiya at ito ang solusyon ni PEZA, ang 70-30 [hybrid work scheme]

However, the director-general noted that this hybrid work setup is until 12 September 2022 only. This is also the date that President Rodrigo Duterte declared the end of the state of (Covid-19) calamity. 

 

Even before the pandemic, the work from home (WFH) scheme for its registered IT-BPOs and RBEs has been conceptualized. In this way, these companies are different from domestic enterprises which can go back to site 100 percent. 

Plaza explained that PEZA is just restoring back to the regular ratio of not more than 30 percent domestic sales allowance and WFH work ratio. The new administration should allegedly address the dialogue on hybrid working arrangements.

She also said that recognizing and adapting to this global trend is needed to maintain PH's competitiveness and flexibility in the 'new normal.

As of December last year, PEZA has 1,274 IT locator companies operating in 297 IT centers/parks and providing 1,017,559 jobs nationwide with exports of USD 15.797B.

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Source: PNA, ABS-CBN