MANILA — The Department of Education has set alternative work arrangements for its personnel, including public school teachers, as the country continues to grapple with the coronavirus crisis.

In a department order issued Monday, Education Secretary Leonor Briones directed the agency’s undersecretaries, assistant secretaries and regional directors to "determine the appropriate work arrangements in their respective jurisdictions, based on the prevailing community quarantine classification in their location and their work priorities."

Briones said DepEd personnel and teachers would continue to work from home until June 21, except for those authorized by the regional directors to facilitate enrollment in the field or in schools.

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The new work arrangements will take effect starting June 22, according to the DepEd order.

The work arrangement may be any or a combination of the following:

• Under enhanced community quarantine and modified enhanced community quarantine, DepEd shall operate with a skeleton workforce to provide for essential services. The rest of the personnel shall be under work from home arrangement.
• Under general community quarantine, the number of personnel physically reporting to work shall not exceed 50 percent of the total workforce of the office, school or community learning center.
• Under modified general community quarantine or post-community quarantine scenario, DepEd may operate at the full operational capacity as may be allowed by required health standards.

The DepEd also recommended that its personnel may take turns in physically reporting to schools and working from home.

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The agency said the following shall be under work from home arrangement, except when their services rendered physically in the office or school are absolutely necessary:

• Personnel who are 21 years old and below
• Personnel who are 60 years old and above
• Personnel who are at high risk of infection, including but not limited to pregnant women, those with immunodeficiency, comorbidities, or other illnesses or pre-existing medical conditions
• Suspect and probable COVID-19 cases, including those who reside with suspect or probable cases
• Personnel who encounter difficulty in reporting to the office or school due to strict home or local community quarantine, or transportation and travel limitations

Disinfection or decontamination of school buildings and facilities, and office vehicles must be conducted regularly, according to the DepEd.

The DepEd added that its personnel would regularly undergo health status checks to ensure that no one is exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19.

Heads of offices and schools or community learning centers were also ordered to implement psycho-social support interventions for personnel such as health and wellness sessions, and stress debriefing, among others.

Read the full DepEd order on alternative work arrangements below:

DepEd order on alternative work arrangements