Former Defense Secretary and senatorial candidate Gilbert (GIBO) Teodoro said the government should consider extending the work-from-home (WFH) arrangement for the information technology and business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) sector amid the increasing oil pump prices.

“It is time to extend the work-from-home scheme, as the public is encouraged to conserve energy to reduce fuel consumption. I support the call of the IT-BPO industry to expand this work arrangement beyond the end of this month. The Philippine Economic Zone Authority has even asked for its extension until September of this year,” Gibo Teodoro said.

Gibo Teodoro, a former Tarlac congressman, said that the government should give consideration to the IT-BPO sector as the country remains under a state of calamity until September 2022. To add, the IT-BPO firms have invested in personal computers, laptops, and connectivity for their employees to make WFH arrangements possible at the onset of the COVID-19 lockdown.

Teodoro, who has vast experience in both the public and private sectors, pointed out that economic activities were picking up even in a WFH setup. This could be proven by the 7.7 percent gross domestic product growth of the country during the last quarter of 2021.