Bacolod City – An organization of BPO workers in Bacolod showed a positive reponse on the mass testing plan to be implemented in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City where the center of the IT-BPO industry is located and seen a rising number of Covid-19 cases.
Yesterday’s joint press briefing with Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, Bacolod Mayor Bing Leonardia and the other government officials, Capitol consultant Alfredo Benitez announced a planned “timeout weekend” that will initially target 10,000 to be tested in the province during the 4-day lockdown.
“We appreciate the LGUs move to conduct mass testing in Bacolod and we will do our best to work closely to help our fellow call center agents. We are relieved that somehow our calls for Free Mass Testing has been heard after a long series of various online actions and some discussions with the different government agencies thru our national office,” said Aaron Cristal, BIEN Bacolod Chapter President in a phone interview.
Prior to this briefing, BIEN had a press conference last August 18 where BIEN posed the question on who will shoulder the cost of mass testing was posed to the Philippine government and the Department of Labor and Employment following the issuance of DOLE supplemental guidelines on the COVID control and prevention in the workplace.
Furthermore, Sarah Prestoza, BIEN Vice President said in the recent press release that “the previous guidelines that the DOLE-DTI issued clearly were not enough to curb the spread of the virus in the workplace. Now, there is a new set of guidelines that mandates regular PCR testing for most workers every three months. But it remains unclear who shall shoulder the cost.”
While the guidelines say that it can be covered by Philhealth, private health insurance, or in coordination with the LGUs, the group raised concerns that unless the government categorically guarantees it will shoulder the cost, then mandatory testing may end up as an additional burden for workers.
“First, Philhealth is already in a corruption scandal and based on experience PhilHealth oftentimes does not cover the full costs of any medical procedure. For BPO workers, even if we have private insurance, not all HMOs cover COVID 19 and some workers who already underwent medication from COVID have used up their insurance. If via local government units, it remains to be seen if this will be prioritized because as observed in the communities, swab testing is not undertaken on individuals unless they are symptomatic. In the end, workers may be burdened by having to pay for their own swab test or displaced in their jobs if their company does not allow them to come back to the work unless they underwent a swab test,” Sarah Prestoza said.
“Now that there has been a plan for mass testing, we are looking forward into this action yet we are also concerned with the 4 days lockdown if the LGU has a plan for the people’s basic daily necessities. There are also agents who are on a work-from-home arrangements in areas where there are less accessible establishments for food and medicine”, Aaron Cristal, BIEN Bacolod President, emphasized.
In the online press briefing, the mother of a Bacolod-based BPO employee who died while battling the symptoms of COVID shared their sentiments about the health service the worker received in a local hospital. Another relative of COVID positive BPO employee also talked about how trainees or probationary workers are being discriminated against by their company. Another BPO worker who recovered from COVID shared how previous interim guidelines issued by DOLE and DTI are being disregarded by their companies resulting in the spread of the disease to over 120 workers.
Cristal added, ”We are requesting the Bacolod LGU’s good office to also establish an Occupational Safety and Health Committee where BIEN could participate and help our fellow BPO workers during this pandemic.”
BIEN Bacolod has presented the 18 BPO workers demands in the SP session last June 3, 2020 and has planned to work closely with the city to address the rising cases of covid-19 in Bacolod call center sites. BIEN has been calling for Free MassTesting since the pandemic has started and continues the campaign as the pandemic continues as well.
Paghimutad 