As the national health university, with its two major institutions critical to solving the COVID-19 crisis, UP Manila issued a set of guidelines to provide its employees with a safe and efficient work environment during the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ).

The guidelines are based on the directives contained in Proclamation 922 dated March 8, 2020 declaring the Philippines under a state of public health emergency and Proclamation 929 dated March 16 placing Luzon under ECQ. Both national measures are directed towards preventing the spread of COVID-19.

UP Manila is home to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) which has been designated as a COVID-19 referral center and to the National Institutes of Health which has developed a low-cost and accurate RNA-based testing kit and other scientific projects. Both are dependent on UP Manila for administrative support. This is especially important in following the provision of the Bayanihan To Heal as One Act (Republic Act No. 11469) that allows procurement of medical goods, equipment, and supplies to be allocated and distributed to public health facilities that are designated as COVID-19 referral hospitals in the most expeditious manner through exemptions from Republic Act No. 9184 or the “Government Procurement Reform Act” and other relevant laws.

The guidelines were issued to enable the University to carry out MECQ without exposing its personnel and constituents to undue hazards and therefore will apply to all areas of the campus. PGH shall issue appropriate supplementary guidelines in line with its designation as a COVID-19 referral center and in compliance with DOH Department Memorandum No. 2020-0178 Interim Guidelines on Health Care Provider Networks during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The first set of guidelines aims to mitigate the risks of transmission of the COVID-19 virus by minimizing social gatherings and minimizing risk of exposure for employees in the workplace consistent with the recommendations of the PGH Hospital Infection Control Unit. The measures include options for a Work from Home (WFH) arrangement and a combination of office work and WFH.

The second set of guidelines refers to alternative pathways of doing business through electronic approval for financial, personnel and procurement transactions, and online submission of accomplishments through the daily time recording system (DTRS) of employees for validation by the respective heads of offices. Covered in the second set are guidelines on Document Submission System; Payment for Salaries, Benefits, and Suppliers; Procurement of Essential Items; Document Tracking, Use of the App Zoom for Meetings and other Collaborative Activities; and Unit-specific Measures.

The guidelines shall take effect immediately and may be amended depending on the circumstances prevailing at the local and national levels. For the complete guidelines, please visit the UP Manila website

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Note: First published in the UP Manila Healthscape (Special COVD-19 Issue No. 5, 19 May 2020).
Link:  https://www.upm.edu.ph/cpt_newsletters/up-manila-healthscape-special-covid-19-issue-no-5-19-may-2020/