Proposed Research on the Challenges in Implementing COVID-19

Safety Protocols in Foreign Assisted Flood Control Projects

Group I

Philippine Christian University

Research and Statistics

Dr. Russ Gariando

October 2, 2021
I.  Introduction

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), an infectious disease caused by the

SARS-CoV-2 virus, first observed in Wuhan City, Hubei, China last December 2019, had

erratically spread globally (World Health Organization, 2020). It has reportedly reached

the Philippines as early as February 2020, which later caused Proclamation No. 922 of

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to declare a State of Public Health Emergency last March

8, 2020 (Baclig, 2021). On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization characterized

COVID-19 as a Pandemic (World Health Organization Virtual press conference on

COVID-19, 2020).

In response to the Pandemic and to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the

Philippine Government placed Metro Manila on “community quarantine,” suspending all

kinds of transportation from March 15, 2020 to April 14, 2020 (Baclig, 2021). Fast

forward to the time of writing, the different cities and provinces of the Philippines had

undergone different community quarantines—Enhanced Community Quarantine,

Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine, General Community Quarantine

with/without Heightened Restriction, Modified General Community Quarantine, to name

a few; all following the omnibus guidelines provided by the COVID-19 Inter-Agency

Task Force (IATF) For The Management Of Emerging Infectious Diseases (Updated as

of August 19, 2021). Along with this was the roll-out of vaccination against COVID-19,

which started last March 2021. According to Rappler, as of October 1, 2021, around 45

million Filipinos have received their vaccines (Rappler, 2021).

 While it is debatable whether the Government’s Pandemic response is effective

and efficient or not, the Pandemic had undoubtedly impacted the Philippines’s Economy

and its people adversely—the last lockdown in Metro Manila projectively cost ₱150

billion worth of losses a week, according to the National Economic Development

Authority (Sayson, 2021, para. 1).

The Government is tightrope balancing the tradeoff of executing lockdowns and

the economic impacts of these lockdowns. Thus, to minimize the adverse effects of

community quarantine implementation, the omnibus of IATF included the exceptions on

the continuous operations of various sectors, including Health, Logistics, Food, Essential

Goods, and Construction Projects--to which it can be asked: Why include Construction

Projects?

Despite the Pandemic, Construction Projects remained a significant contributor to

the Philippines’ Economic Growth. The Department of Public Works and Highways

(DPWH), as the engineering and construction arm of the Government, continues to fulfill

its mandate of undertaking planning, design, construction, and maintenance of national

roads, bridges, and major flood control systems of the Philippines. Through the IATF, the

DPWH provided guidelines for Construction Projects pertinent to the current Pandemic

situation.

Various policies, in the form of DPWH Department Orders, were published

primarily to address safety in construction implementation during this Pandemic. Hence,

it shall be asked: Were the safety policies issued through the various Department Orders

enough? Were these policies promptly disseminated? Were all people concerned
completely informed of these policies? And ultimately, were these policies adequately

implemented? To answer these questions, a DPWH project shall be studied. 

Construction of national roads and bridges typically can be segregated by the area

on which they are being constructed; major flood control systems, on the other hand,

transcends political boundaries and jurisdiction and are typically characterized by the

River Basin encompassing it. As flood control systems may represent a more

macroscopic perspective in Construction Projects, one shall be used for analysis.

The Flood Control Projects implemented by the DPWH can be categorized into

two: Locally-Funded and Foreign-Funded—the latter being larger by impact and scope.

Currently, three Foreign Assisted Flood Control Projects are being implemented by the

DPWH: the Imus River Basin Sub-Project under the Flood Risk Management Project for

Cagayan River, Tagoloan River, and Imus River; the Flood Risk Management Project for

Cagayan de Oro River; and the Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change

Adaptation Measures in Low-lying Areas of Pampanga Bay. Among these three, the Imus

River Basin Sub-Project shall be used in this study as it is now beyond 50%

accomplished (DPWH, 2021) but still a tad behind its initially projected accomplishment.

This study of Challenges in Implementing COVID-19 Safety Protocols in Foreign

Assisted Flood Control Projects will answer whether this delay is valid, along with the

earlier asked questions.

II. Review of Related Literature

A. Department Order No. 35, Series of 2020: “Construction Safety Guidelines

for the Implementation of All DPWH Infrastructure Projects During the

COVID-19 Public Health Crisis

Months before the Department of Health (DOH) released their first

version of Workplace Handbook On COVID-19 Management and Prevention, the

DPWH had published D.O. No. 35, s2020, which categorized which construction

projects may be implemented depending on the community quarantine level on a

given area, and the corresponding penalties for violation thereof.

The D.O. No. 35, s2020 was published with the world’s knowledge on

COVID-19 being very limited compared to what it is now. Thus, it primarily dealt

with provisions prior to project deployment: (1) Age and health condition

restriction of the workforce involved, (2) Taking of COVID-19 test as the need

arises, (3) Mobility of workforce through the issuance of quarantine passes, (4)

Provision for welfare facilities and amenities, (5) invocation of DOLE D.O. No.

13, s1998, (6) Provision of disinfection facilities, (7) Proper dissemination of

information regarding COVID-19 construction protocol, (8) Contact tracing and

utilization of these provisions during project deployment.

As this study’s subject project is an essential infrastructure that fell under

flood control, it was allowed to be carried on even with the strictest community

quarantine (Enhanced Community Quarantine).

B. Department Order No. 36, Series of 2020: “DPWH Interim Work

Arrangement During the COVID-19 Pandemic”

The actual construction of DPWH projects is typically carried out by

contractors and overseen by DPWH Implementing Offices. As such, contractors

and their workforce are the primary subjects of D.O. No. 35, s2020. On the other

hand, D.O. No. 36, s2020 was successively published to address DPWH

employees. It contained a provision for Interim Work Arrangement with

guidelines on required hours to render both in-office and work-from-home

arrangements and the process of requesting, validating, and evaluating work-

from-home requests and outputs.

C. Department Order No. 39, Series of 2020: “Revised Construction Safety

Guidelines for the Implementation of Infrastructure Projects During

COVID-19 Public Health Crisis repealing Department Order No. 35, Series

of 2020”

As prompt as the Government responds to the developing Pandemic

situation, within the same month of publication, D.O. No. 35, s2020 was repealed

by D.O. No. 39, s2020. The primary difference between the two is that the latter

accounted for the new community quarantine categories: Modified Enhanced

Community Quarantine (MECQ) and Modified General Community Quarantine

(MGCQ). D.O. No. 39, s2020 have now incorporated monitoring enforcement

extending from DPWH Implementing Offices to Local Government Units

(LGUs), Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCC), and even

 private construction projects. Penalties for violation and non-compliance are still

attached.

Nonetheless, ECQ remained the strictest community quarantine, and as

this study’s project of concern fell under flood control, it was allowed to be

carried on.

D. Department Order No. 83, Series of 2020: “DPWH Guidelines on COVID-19

Management”

D.O. No. 83, s2020 was published to strengthen DPWH’s effort to manage

the spread of COVID-19. It consolidated and reiterated the essentials of

Workplace Health Management which were earlier invoked in the “Bayanihan to

Heal as One Department” memorandum dated April 1, 2020; “Guidelines in

Accepting Visitors in DPWH Premises” memorandum dated May 13, 2020;

“DPWH We Cope as One” memorandum dated June 10, 2020; and Department

Order No. 34, Series of 2020: “Basic Hygiene, Workplace Sanitation and Social

Distancing measures Observed in the Workplace.”

D.O. No. 83, s2020 was published to establish a system wherein each

DPWH Office designates at least three personnel to form an Office COVID

Coordinating Group (OCCG). The OCCGs were then tasked with the

management of COVID Suspected Cases and COVID Confirmed Cases. They

were also charged with the recommendation of work suspension due to confirmed

COVID cases and the necessary documentary preparation for these tasks.

E. Workplace Handbook On COVID-19 Management and Prevention

 After months of extensive research and consolidation of results in

handling the Pandemic, both in medical sciences and best practices introduced by

various industries, the DOH published the Workplace Handbook On COVID-19

Management and Prevention last September 30, 2020. It introduced a situation

briefer regarding the Pandemic--the must know, the COVID-19 cases, and the

hierarchy of controls. It discussed handling cases from detection, isolation,

contact-tracing, discharge, and reintegration of those who have recovered. It

deliberated personal safety measures, addressed mental health, diet, nutrition, and

reminded the importance of staying physically fit. It also provided guidelines for

specific workplace scenarios covering office work, alternative work

arrangements, meetings and document transmittal, meals and lunch breaks, shuttle

services, and Telemedicine.

F. Department Order No. 30, Series of 2021: “Revised Construction Safety

Guidelines for the Implementation of Infrastructure Projects During the

COVID-19 Public Health Crisis, Amending Department Order No. 39, Series

of 2020”

After a year since the publication of D.O. 39, s2020, D.O. 30, s2021 was

published. The significant difference is that in the latter, for both ECQ and

MECQ, all essential public and private construction were allowed to operate in

full capacity, and that small-scale projects (intended for private and personal use)

were not allowed under the same community quarantine. The basic guidelines of

the newer D.O. on the implementation of infrastructure projects are more

expansive than that of its predecessor. Nevertheless, it echoed the provisions of

DOH’s Workplace Handbook On COVID-19 Management and Prevention--the

hierarchy of controls in particular and the non-reliance on Antigen Test as a

stand-alone test. Among the updated provisions is that asymptomatic employees

returning to work are not required to undergo RT-PCR or antibody-based tests as

the period on which an infected person is contagious is now scientifically defined

(assuming they have undergone isolation beyond that period).

III. Methodology

A. Materials

1. Researchers:

1. Complete monthly Project Briefer/Status of the Imus River Basin Sub-Project under the

Flood Risk Management Project for Cagayan River, Tagoloan River, and Imus River

2. List of all people involved in the Imus River Basin Sub-Project under the Flood Risk

Management Project for Cagayan River, Tagoloan River, and Imus River

3. Copy of all Department Orders pertinent to the current Pandemic 

4. Google Account for setting up digital questionnaires in Google Forms and consolidating

responses

5. Spreadsheet Program (Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets) for response analysis and

infographic generation

6. Internet-connected computer and/or smartphone capable of running spreadsheet program

of choice

2. Respondents:

1. Google Account for answering Google Forms. Logging in is required to avoid redundancy of

respondent

2. Internet-connected computer or smartphone with a functioning browser capable of

running Google Forms

B. Methods

1. Project Accomplishment Assessment

 1. The researchers shall skim through all project briefer/status  and obtain (1) progress rate

before Pandemic, and (2) progress rate during the Pandemic

2. The progress rate before the Pandemic and the progress rate during the Pandemic shall be

compared with what was initially projected (e.g., comparison of S-curves and slippages;

costs may also be used). This comparison could come in the form of overlapped

infographics

2. Survey on Pandemic Effect and Policy Familiarity

1. The researchers shall develop a survey form using Google Forms. The target population of

this survey is everybody involved in the Imus River Basin Sub-Project under the Flood

Risk Management Project for Cagayan River, Tagoloan River, and Imus River. The content

of this survey shall gather insights into the  effect of Pandemic on the project and assess the

respondent’s extent of familiarity with existing D.O.s pertinent to the Pandemic, all in

relation to time. The survey may vary depending on whether the respondent is part of the

contractor, an employee of DPWH, a representative of the consultants, etc.

2. With the list of all people involved (population), the sample size shall be computed with

Slovin’s formula:

n = N/(1+Ne )
2

N - number of population

n - sample size

e - margin of error (depending on target confidence level)

c. The respondents shall fill out the developed Google Forms within two weeks after the

link for the said survey was sent.

d. An infographic shall be created when n respondents have filled out the form. 
3. Analysis on Policy Effectivity

a. The results from methods 1 and 2 shall be analyzed and correlated to evaluate policy

effectivity, and  an infographic shall be developed overlapping these results

b. The developed infographic shall then be used to conclude on the finding pertinent to the

subject Challenges in Implementing COVID-19 Safety Protocols in Foreign Assisted

Flood Control Projects

References:

World Health Organization (n.d.). “Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)”. Retrieved from

https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus#tab=tab_1

World Health Organization (2020). “Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) SITUATION REPORT -

1 21 JANUARY 2020”. Retrieved from

https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200121-sitrep-

1-2019-ncov.pdf

Baclig, C., (2021, March 12). “TIMELINE: One year of Covid-19 in the Philippines”. Retrieved

from https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1406004/timeline-one-year-of-covid-19-in-the-

philippines

World Health Organization (2020).  “Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Situation Report 1

Philippines March 9 2020”. Retrieved from

https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/wpro---documents/countries/philippines/

emergencies/covid-19/who-phl-sitrep-1-covid-19-9mar2020.pdf?

sfvrsn=2553985a_2&download=true

Rappler.com (2021, October 2). “TRACKER: The Philippines’ COVID-19 vaccine distribution”

Retrieved from https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/data-documents/tracker-covid-19-

vaccines-distribution-philippines

Sayson, I., (2021, August 8). “Lockdown to Cost Philippines $3 Billion a Week, Star Says”

Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-08/philippines-to-

lose-3-billion-a-week-amid-lockdown-star-says

Department of Public Works and Highways (2020). Department Order No. 35, Series of 2020:

Construction Safety Guidelines for the Implementation of All DPWH Infrastructure

 Projects During the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis.

https://www.dpwh.gov.ph/dpwh/sites/default/files/issuances/DO_35_s2020%20updated2.

pdf

Department of Public Works and Highways (2020). Department Order No. 36, Series of 2020:

DPWH Interim Work Arrangement During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

https://www.dpwh.gov.ph/DPWH/sites/default/files/issuances/DO_36_s2020.pdf

Department of Public Works and Highways (2020). Department Order No. 39, Series of 2020:

Revised Construction Safety Guidelines for the Implementation of Infrastructure Projects

During COVID-19 Public Health Crisis repealing Department Order No. 35, Series of

2020.

https://www.dpwh.gov.ph/dpwh/sites/default/files/filefield_paths/DO_39_s2020.pdf

Department of Public Works and Highways (2020). Department Order No. 83, Series of 2020:

DPWH Guidelines on COVID-19 Management.

https://www.dpwh.gov.ph/dpwh/sites/default/files/filefield_paths/DO_83_s2020.pdf 

Department of Health (2020). Workplace Handbook On COVID-19 Management and

Prevention. https://doh.gov.ph/sites/default/files/publications/workplace-handbook-on-

covid-19-management-and-prevention.pdf

Department of Public Works and Highways (2021). Department Order No. 30, Series of 2021:

“Revised Construction Safety Guidelines for the Implementation of Infrastructure

Projects During the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis, Amending Department Order No.

39, Series of 2020.

https://www.dpwh.gov.ph/DPWH/sites/default/files/filefield_paths/DO_030_s2021.pdf