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Republika ng Pilipinas

KAGAWARAN NG KATARUNGAN

Department of JusticeManila

DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR NO.0 W S 0

TO Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries

Heads of DOJ Attached AgenciesRegional/Provincial/City ProsecutorsHeads of Offices/Services in the Department ProperAll Concerned Personnel

SUBJECT: Interim Guidelines on the Use of Leave Credits for Absences Due

to Self-Quarantine and/or Treatment Relative to the Corona Virus

Disease-2019 (COVID-19)

DATE MAR 0 6 2020

Attached is a copy of the above-entitled guidelines issued by the Civil ServiceCommission (CSC) pursuant to Memorandum Circular No. 5, s. 2020 which aims toavert the threat of COVID-19 in all workplaces in the public sector, and to ensure thatgovernment officials and employees are given the chance to undergo preventive orremedial health measures to maintain their good health at all times.

For information, guidance and appropriate action.

MENARDO I. GUEVARRA

Secretary

Dep^rtn^^nt of Justice

End.: As stated.

amsERVKiamussioN

Republic of the Philippines

MC No. . s. 2020

MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR

TO ALL HEADS OF CONSTITUTIONAL BODIES;DEPARTMENTS, BUREAUS AND AGENCIES OF THENATIONAL GOVERNMENT; LOCAL GOVERNMENT

UNITS; GOVERNMENT-OWNED OR CONTROLLEDCORPORATIONS WITH ORIGINAL CHARTERS; ANDSTATE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES

SUBJECT : Interim Guidelines on the Use of Leave Credits for

Absences Due to Self-Quarantine and/or Treatment

Relative to the Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19)

Pursuant to CSC Resolution No. 2000362 promulgated on February 20,2020, the Commission adopted the following Interim Guidelines on the Use ofLeave Credits for Absences Due to Self-Quarantine and/or Treatment relative to

the Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) to avert the threat in all workplaces inthe public sector and to ensure that government officials and employees are giventhe chance to undergo preventive or remedial health measures to ensure that theyare in good health at all times.

1.0 Purpose

These guidelines provides for the procedure of availment of leaveprivileges for absences incurred in relation to self-quarantine and/or treatment ofpublic sector officials and employees relative to the COVID-19 which has beendeclared by the World Health Organization as Public Health Emergency ofInternational Concern (PHEIC).

Moreover, said guidelines seek to ensure that precautionary measures areemployed in government agencies to avoid the spread of the said virus in thepublic sector workplace.

2.0 Scope and Coverage

These guidelines apply to all public sector officials and employeesregardless of status of appointment (permanent, temporary, provisional,

Bawat Kawani, Lingkod Bayani9 CSC Building, IBP Road, Batasan HMIs. 1126 Quezon City » (02) 931 -7935/(02) 931-7939/(02) 931 -8092 f^cscphil@icsc.90v.ph # wwwc

substitute, coterminous, casual, contractual or fixed term) including electiveofficials.

3.0 Guidelines

3.1 It is the responsibility of each government official/employee or anyindividual serving the public sector to ensure that he/she employs thenecessary measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 infection inthe public sector workplace.

One who feels sick with the COVID-19-like symptoms^ or has beenexposed to persons infected with COVID-19 must immediately informhis/her supervisor; voluntarily seek immediate medical attention and/orgo on self-quarantine, as deemed necessary upon the advice andcertification of a licensed government/private physician. This is in orderto avert the possible spread of the infection in the workplace.

3.2 All officials and employees in the public sector who have history oftravel from China and its Special Administrative Regions (Macau andHongkong) Including other countries as declared/identified bycompetent Philippine authority prior to and after the promulgation ofthese guidelines shall ensure that they shall have submittedthemselves to "self-quarantine" in their homes or any appropriate healthfacility, as applicable for fourteen (14) calendar days upon arrival in thePhilippines. They shall not report back to work unless the said self-quarantine period has elapsed and/or they have been treated, andcleared as being fit to go back to work by the proper health authorities.

3.3 Absence from work due to self-quarantine period and/or treatment ofthe COVID-19, as applicable, shall be treated, as follows:

Categories

Nature of

Absence from

Work;

ApplicableLeave of

Absence

Procedure Upon Returnto Work

1. Officials and

employees who havehistory of travel(official/personal) fromChina and its SpecialAdministrative

Regions (Macau andHongkong) includingother countries as

Absence from

work during thefourteen (14)calendar daysprescribed periodof observation,

including thosewho were

diagnosed with

For those who have not

exhibited svmotoms of

COVID-19:

A Medical Certificate to be

submitted to the agency'sHR unit issued by anygovernment/ privatephysician that one has

' Signs and symptoms: (fever, coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, other early symptoms to watch for arechills, Ijody aches, sore throat, headache, diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, and runny nose)

declared/identified bycompetent Philippineauthority prior to andafter the promulgationof these guidelineswho are directed to goon self-quarantineand/or later on tested

positive of COVID-19.

2. Frontline service

providers such as butnot limited to Public

Health Workers

(PHWs), immigrationofficers, consularofficers and other

government officialsand employees whoare directed to go onself-quarantine and/orlater tested positive ofCOVID-19 while in the

performance of theirofficial functions.

3. Officials and

employees who takecare of their familymembers who have

contracted the

COVID-19.

COVID-19 duringthe said period,shall not be

deducted from

their earned leave

credits.

After the

aforecited 14-dayperiod has

elapsed theofficial/employeediagnosed withthe COVID-19,their absences

shall be chargedfrom their earned

sick leave credits.

Absence from

work during thefourteen (14)calendar daysprescribed periodof observation

and treatment

shall be chargedagainst theirearned sick leave

credits.

voluntarily self-quarantinedhimself/herself for 14 daysupon arrival from thecountry and has exhibitedno symptoms of COVID-19and is cleared to reportback to work.

For those who got sick but

were not infected bv the

COVID-19:

A Medical Certificate to be

submitted to the agency'sHR unit issued by anygovernment/private physician that onehas been treated of his/her

sickness and is cleared as

being fit to report back towork.

For those who were

infected bv the COVID-19:

A Medical Certificate to be

submitted to the agency'sHR unit issued by thegovernment health facilityresponsible for thetreatment of the said

COVID-19 indicating thatone has been treated and

is cleared as being fit toreport back to work.

Said health facilities,called Referral Centers for

Emerging and Re-Emerging InfectiousDisease may be referredto in the DOH website,www.doh.qov.

3.4 In the event of circumtances above mentioned wherein the employeehas exhausted his/her sick leave credits. Section 56 of the OmnibusRules on Leave shall apply allowing the use of vacation leave credits inlieu of sick leave credits. In case vacation leave credits have been

exhausted, the employee may apply for sick leave of absence withoutpay.

3.5 Office heads shall also ensure that the efficiency and productivitystandards of work units are met in such cases where periods ofabsence of concerned officials and staff may bring about setbacks inthe delivery of public service.

4.0 Responsibilities of the Agency head

4.1 The agency head shall ensure that the aforecited guidelines areenforced in one's agency as a precautionary measure to avert thepossible threat of the COVID-19 in the public sector workplace.

5.0 Effectivity

These guidelines shall take effect immediately and shall be applicable forthe duration of the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)until said medical condition has been lifted by the proper health authorities.

However, government employees, officials, and other public servantscovered by these Guidelines whose period of self-quarantine after recent travel(official/personal) was deducted against their leave credits prior to the issuance ofthese Guidelines can have the said leave credits restored through their respectiveagencies' Human Resource/Personnel Office/s/Units.

ALICIA dela ROSA-BALA

ChairpersonP>

&

20FEB 2020

mpso^ssmst/jL r/sGAP-c/Fn knerim GukSaUom on the U«e of L«av« Credits for Absences Due to SeK^Suarantineandfor Treatment Relative to the Corona Virus Oisease-2019 (COVID-19)