DSWD ApvisoRY No. __1 Series of 2021 GUIDELINES FOR THE PREVENTION, CONTROL, AND MITIGATION OF THE SPREAD OF THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE-19 (COVID-19) IN THE DSWD CENTRAL OFFICE, FIELD OFFICES, OTHER FACILITIES, ATTACHED AND SUPERVISED AGENCIES 1. RATIONALE ‘The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in pursuit ofits mandate to provide social welfare and protection programs and services to the poor, vulnerable, and disadvantaged clients, as well as its obligation to protect its employees performing such functions, realizes the importance of creating its internal implementing rules in accordance to the various issuances of the National Government Agencies, the Inter- ‘Agency task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-E1D), and international health organizations due to the increasing number of cases in relation to the COVID-19, which has been officially characterized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic. On March 12, 2020, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, approved the recommendation by the IATF-EID, also known as the IATF-EID Resolution No. 12, Series of 2020, raised the highest alert level for the COVID-19 threat to Code Red Sublevel 2 and declared a community quarantine in the National Capital Region (NCR) due to evidence of ‘sustained community transmission of the disease. ‘On March 27, 2021, the President approved the recommendation of the IATF-EID per Resolution No. 106-A, Series of 2021, raising the community quarantine level within the NCR Plus, due to the sustained transmission of the new variants of COVID-19. Thus, to safeguard its workforce, internal, and external stakeholders, and to prevent the spread of the disease, this issuance shall cover operationalization of the DSWD programs and services while the country, in whole or in part, is under the Enhanced ‘Community Quarantine (ECQ.)LEGAL BASES A. Memorandum from the Executive Secretary dated March 27, 2021 — Imposition of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and the National Capital Region B. Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases (IATF EID) Resolution No. 105-A C. _ Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases (IATF- EID) Resolution No. 106:B, amending IATF Omnibus Guidelines on Community Quarantine on the Implementation of Community Quarantine in the Philippines D. Memorandum from the Executive Secretary - Stringent Social Distancing Measures and Further Guidelines for the Management of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation E. __ Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Disease (IATF- EID) Resolution No. 12, Series of 2020, repealing paragraph (F) of IATF-EID Resolution No. 14 F. _ Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) Resolution No. 11, Series of 2020 G. Department of Health (DOH) Circular No. 2020-0130 - Public Advisory No. 15- Guidance on Gatherings for the Public and Event Organizers H. Department of Health (DOH) Circular No. 2020-0131 ~ Public Advisory No. 16 = Guidance for Institutions is a Person Under Investigation (PUI) or a Confirmed COVID-19 Case is Detected at the Workplace 1 Civil Service Commission (CSC) Memorandum Circular No. § Series 2020 Interim Guidelines on the Use of Leave Credits for Absences Due to Self-quarantine and/or Treatment Relative to the COVID-19 J. Givil Service Commission (CSC) Memorandum Circular No. 23 Series 2020 - Interim Guidelines on Absences of Government Officials and Employees During the Community Quarantine Due to COVID19 Pandemic K. GSC Memorandum No. 18, s. 2020 dated 15 October 2020 or the Amendment to the Revised Interim Guidelines for Alternative Work Arrangements and Support Mechanisms for Workers in the Government during the Period of State of Public Health Emergency due to COVID-19 Pandemic L. CSC Memorandum No. 03, s. 2021 or the General Guideline on Digital/Online Learning in the Public SectorM. World Health Organization (WHO) ~ Director General's Opening Remarks at the Media Briefing on COVID-19, March 11, 2020 ©. Proclamation No. 22, Series of 2020 — Declaring a State of Public Health Emergency Throughout the Philippines P. _ GPPB Resolution No. 03-2020, Approving the Adoption of Efficient, Effective and Expedient Procurement Procedures During A State of Public Health Emergency lll SCOPE/COVERAGE AND APPLICABILITY This Guidelines shall apply to all offices, bureaus, services, and units (OBSUs) within the DSWD Central Office (CO) and the Field Offices (FOs) under ECQ and MECA. Attached and Supervised Agencies, meanwhile, are encouraged to adopt these rules or implement their own rules as may be appropriate for their continuous service delivery and performance of their official functions. IV. OBJECTIVES General Objective: ‘To provide protocols for prevention, control, and mitigation of the spread of COVID-19 in the DSWD CO, concerned FOs, provincial offices Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite and Rizal, other facilities, Attached, and Supervised Agencies. Specilic Objectives: ‘A. Toimplement guidelines on the appropriate execution of DSWD programs, activities, and projects requiring social contact (i.e. payouts, AICS, KALAHI-CIDSS, Supplemental Feeding Program, Food and Non-Food Items distribution, Sustainable Livelinood Program, Social Pension, among others); B. To establish protocol on the adoption of alternative work structure (i.e. three- day work week, skeletal workforce) and on payment of salaries and wages; C. To provide guidance on emergency procurement for sanitation supplies and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), among others and; D. To provide guidance on the conduct of DSWD-led group activities (i. trainings, workshops, seminars). V. DEFINITION OF TERMS For purposes of this issuance, the following are the definition of terms: ‘A. PANDEMIC - According to the World Health Organizations, refers to "the worldwide spread of a new disease’.QUARANTINE - In general, it means the separation of a person or group of people reasonably believed to have been exposed to a communic ‘able disease but not yet symptomatic, from others who have not been exposed, to prevent the possible spread of the communicable disease a b. GENERAL COMMUNITY QUARANTINE - where movement of people shall be limited to accessing basic necessities and work, and uniformed personnel and quarantine officers shall be present at border patrol. ENHANCED COMMUNITY QUARANTINE - where strict home quarantine shall be implemented in all_households; transportation shall be suspended: provision for food and essential health services shall be regulated; and heightened presence of uniformed personnel to enforce quarantine procedures will be implemented. c. SELF-QUARANTINE - subject to the prescribed conditions as stated by DOH issuances STRINGENT SOCIAL DISTANCING - refers to strict maintenance of a distance of attending, i at least one (1) meter radius between and among those is maintained during the entirety of the event. ON-SITE CAPACITY — refers to such number of employees or workers who can be permitted or required to physically report for work outside their residences, SKELETON WORKFORCE - refers to the on-site capacity which utilizes the ‘smallest number of people necessary for a business or organization to maintain its basic functions CONTRACT OF SERVICE WORKER - Contract of Service refers to the engagement of the services of an individual, private firm, other government agency, not consultant, n-governmental agency or international organization as learning service provider or technical expert to undertake a special project or job within a specific period. MASS GATHERINGS - refer to movie screenings, concerts, sporting events, and other entertainment activities, community assemblies, and non-essential work-related gatherings shall be suspended. Essential work- related meetings and religious activities may continue so long as strict, social distar one-meter cing, defined as the strict maintenance of distance of at least radius between and among those attending, is maintained during the entirety of the event.vi IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES FOR MANAGEMENT CONCERNS A, PERSONNEL CONCERNS - For regular, contractual and casual employees, Contract of Service, and Job Order Workers: 1 WORK ARRANGEMENTS 1 1.2 In the absence of an official declaration of Work ‘Suspension from the Office of the President 14d Cluster Heads or OBSU Heads or Regional Directors to issue Special Order authorizing staff to work from home (for regular contractual and ‘casual employees)/ memorandum authorizing staff to work from home (for COS and JO Workers); Cluster Heads or OBSU Heads or Regional Directors to determine terms of reference for each staff (Le. deliverables and timelines of submission of outputs); Personnel must submit their Daily Time Records, (OTR) along with supporting documents (ie. Special Order/Memorandum authorizing staff to work from home and accomplishment report duly signed by their supervisors) to Personnel Administrative Division (PAD) for CO OBS or Personnel Administration Section (PAS) for FOs. as support to payment of their salaries/wages; I nature of work cannot be performed online or from home, the concerned personnel will be required to report to work; For those required to report to work, OBSUs and FOs may recommend adoption of three (3) - day workweeke (ie. Monday to Wednesday, Wednesday to Friday) or other work arrangement as may be appropriate in accordance with the relevant CSC rules and issuances, subject to the approval of the Secretary. If Official Declaration of Work Suspension is issued by the Office of the President: 1.2.1 DSWD Secretary to issue memorandum on Work Suspension indicating the need for skeleton workforce fromselected OBSUs/FOs for the delivery of frontline services in accordance to the OP issuance and/or guidelines to be issued by CSC for this purpose; 1.2.2 Cluster Heads of OBSU Heads or Regional Directors to determine terms of reference for each staff (i. deliverables and timelines of submission of outputs); 1.2.3 For employees and COS/JO Workers required to render frontline services, work arrangement shall be determined and agreed upon between OBSU Head or Regional Director and their respective personnel; 1.2.4 For employees and COS/JO Workers who are not required to render their services, submission of supporting documents for payment of wagesisalaries is hereby waived. 1.3 Recall of Personnel In the exigency of service, CO/FO personnel may be recalled, 2. APPLICATION FOR LEAVE Officials and employees may avail of appropriate leaves in accordance with existing CSC rules and regulations subject to compliance with the prescribed requirements and approval of authorized signatories. 3. GRANT OF HAZARD PAY FOR DSWD PERSONNEL Pursuant to DBM Budget Circular No. 2020-1 dated March 24, 2020, the ‘grant of hazard pay may be given to personnel who are required to be physically present in their respective OBSUs as part of the skeleton workforce and whose OBSUs or field of assignment are situated within the ECQ area’, subject to the availability of funds, 4. QUARANTINE The DSWD adopts the provisions of DOH Circular No. 2020-0131 - Public Advisory No. 16 - Guidance for Institutions it a Person Under Investigation (PUI) or a Confirmed COVID-19 Case is Detected at the Workplace. 5. CONDUCT OF DSWD GROUP ACTIVITIES All DSWD-led group activities requiring physical attendance of Participants (i.e. workshops/seminarsftrainings involving internal and ' Memorandum from the Executive Secretary dated March 27, 2021vu. external_ stakeholders) shall be suspended/postponed until further notice. Only activities that may be conducted through online platforms shall be allowed. OBSUs/FOs are encouraged to adopt alternative modes of meetings (ie. use of Google Meet with Jamboard in coordination with ICTMS) for the conduct of the same. 6. AVAILABILITY OF SHUTTLE SERVICES Shuttle services for employees are continued subject to stringent social distancing as approved by the DOTr. B. _ EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT 1. Cash advance may be used as mode of payment for emergency procurement. 2. Items to be procured are subject to GPPB Resolution No. 03-2020, ‘Approving the Adoption of Efficient, Effective and Expedient Procurement Procedures During A State of Public Health Emergency and other applicable rules and regulations. C. CONTINGENCY FUNDS Modification of funds, if needed. IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES OF THE PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES, AND PROJECTS OF THE DSWD A. OPERATIONS The implementation of the following Programs, Activities, and Projects (PAP) shall be approved by the Secretary upon recommendation by the cluster heads. The said recommendation must consider the skeleton workforce and the minimum number of clients to be served in compliance with the Minimum Health Standards set by the DOH during ECQ. 1. Social Pension Program for Indigent Senior Citizens; 2. Unconditional Cash Transfer; 3. 4Ps Over the Counter; 4. 4Ps Distribution of Cash Cards; 5. Offsite Serbisyo; 6. Supplementary Feeding Program; 7. Sustainable Livelihood Program: 8. Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan; andAll trainings, workshops, seminars, conferences, meetings, fora, travels and any similar conduct that will involve mass gatherings shall be suspended. The OBSUs/FOs shall reschedule those activities upon the cessation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine. 1. ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS SITUATION (AICS) 14. AICS may be availed of during emergency situations under Memorandum Circular No. 24, Series of 2020; 1.2. Senior Citizens who would like to avail the program may be given assistance, and may opt to send his/her healthy relative to claim the assistance in his/her behalf in the DSWD Offices; 1.3. The provision of burial and medical assistance in the form of guarantee letters (GL) shall be provided to walk- in clients, however, limited to the following: 13.4 In SWAD Offices, the clients shall be limited to thirty (80) per day to be processed by three (3) personnel; 13.2. In Regional Offices, the clients shall be limited to fity (50) per day to be processed by five (5) personnel; and 1.3.3. In the Central Office, the clients shall be limited to one hundred (100) per day to be processed by ten (10) personnel. 1.4. Cash assistance to victims of fire in the form of cash and GL shall be provided based on the Presidential Directive to continue, provided that the pay-out may be conducted in evacuation centers, 2. FOOD AND NON-FOOD ITEMS (FNI) DISTRIBUTION The distribution of food and non-food items shall continue provided the distribution is within the guidelines of the Department and in compliance with the ECQ MHS, 3. CENTERS AND RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITIES (CRCFS) The operation of the CRCFs shall continue, no visitors or mass gatherings are allowed.vir, 4.NTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SERVICES OFFICE (ISSO) All Social Welfare Attaches shall remain in their posts in order to maintain the status quo therein, and to ensure the continuity of the provision of DSWD services to distressed Overseas Filipinos. B. DEPLOYMENT OF STAFF The Operations Group shall determine the schedule and proper work arrangements for the DSWD personnel within the office premises or within their respective houses. ‘All OBSUs shall maintain a skeleton workforce with the observance of front- line management protocol on the observation of social distancing in accordance with the protocol of the DOH. OBSU heads are encouraged to determine work outputs that can be accomplished at home thereby minimizing the necessity of personnel to report physically during the ECO Social Workers who provide services or conduct payouts in accordance with these guidelines shall be provided with the minimum PPEs. The provision of the PPEs shall be subject to replenishment based on the standards, protocol, and procedures in the frequency of changing the minimum PPEs. C. RISK PLANNING AND STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION PLAN There shall be a risk planning and information dissemination to be facilitated by the COVID-19 Action Team and populated by the DSWD Strategic ‘Communications Group. Any possible grievance from the beneficiariesiclients of the DSWD programs shall be immediately addressed and acted upon by the ‘Agency Command Center in close Coordination with the OBSUs/FOs concern. EFFECTIVITY CLAUSE This issuance shall be in effect from 00:00 a.m. of 29 March to 00:00 a.m. of 4 April 2021, subject to changes as may be instructed/issued by the Office of the President. Signed on the 28" day of March 2021, in Quezon City. woul JPSELITO D. BAUTISTA Secretary Date: March 28, 2021