Mayor Cris Garbo meeting with YTPI executives. Contributed photo
MABALACAT CITY — Mayor Crisostomo Garbo on early Thursday morning met with executives of Yokohama Tire Philippines Inc. (YTPI) and the Clark Development Corp. Health and Safety Division to make sure that safety measures are in place at the tire manufacturing plant inside Clark Freeport which employs hundreds of workers in this city.
The mayor said work at the YTPI may now proceed as usual after calling on Clark executives to give him briefing on safety measures and other health protocols instituted at the factory to protect employees against the coronavirus.
“It is important for these workers that their work continues, not only to help the economy, but their families also. YTPI appears to be compliant with protocols and requirements of government,” Garbo said.
He made the clarification in light of news reports that he was pushing for work stoppage at the YTPI after a janitor, who works on a contractual basis at the company, has contracted COVID-19.
He added that his call was premised on getting assurance that safety measures are in place to protect workers and that contract tracing is also conducted.
Garbo said he found the safety measures being implemented at the YTPI in accordance with the guidelines on workplace safety set by the Department of Health, Department of Labor and Employment and the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Aside from disinfecting the building, YTPI has complied with orders by CDC to conduct RT-PCR testing on about 100 employees that are assigned in the building where the janitor is deployed. Other utility personnel from the company of the janitor that work at YTPI have also underwent testing. Results will be known starting Friday. Employees who underwent swabbing are also quarantined while awaiting results.
