The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has called on military personnel and police workforce to allow the access of telecommunication servicemen and linemen working for the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and other private companies in the same industry (like PLDT, Smart, Globe) during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon.
As provided in Section 5 of the Memorandum on Community Quarantine in the entirety of Luzon, these line of employees fall under the exemptions from the travel ban imposed for every one to mitigate the spread of the pandemic.
In view of the foregoing, a Memorandum dated March 16, 2020 was issued by the NTC to further clarify the said exceptions and prescribe the actions necessary to be taken by the concerned employers and the other side of the police and military.
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Among the telecommunication related workforce include those who perform indirect services such as technical, sales, security and other support personnel. In addition, employees who are considered third party contractors engaged in the installation, maintenance and repair activities are likewise allowed to travel to and from work within the areas covered by the ECQ, as long as sufficient proof of occupation are presented (company ID or certificate of employment).
The government emphasizes the importance of telecommunication and infrastructure services in the pursue of an effective resolution to the on going global crisis.