MARIVELES, Bataan — The Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) on Tuesday claimed that some locators at the Freeport Area of Bataan here failed to submit on time the required lists of workers authorized to report Monday at the start of the modified enhanced community quarantine.
AFAB information officer Hazel Keith Ellorin partly attributed Monday’s overcrowding of big number of workers and confusion at the FAB gates to some communication breakdown.
She said they have met with the locators through virtual town hall Sunday and discussed guidelines on the implementation of MECQ with heightened restrictions in Mariveles and the FAB.
It was agreed, she said, that the companies will submit lists of workers permitted to report that will serve as basis for their being authorized to enter the freeport gates.
“Gayunpaman, may ilang kompanya ang nagpasa nito nang lampas sa itinakdang oras at may ilan pang nagpasa bandang hatinggabi na. Bukod dito, dahil sa mga limitasyon sa komunikasyon sa pagitan ng FAB-registered enterprises at ilang mga manggagawa, kahit ang mga hindi awtorisado o yaong wala sa isinumiteng listahan ng manggagawa ay pumasok din.” Ellorin said.
She said that AFAB reminded the enterprises and the workers that they share in the responsibility to make sure that the approved lists and schedules of those permitted to work are received by proper authorities.
Ellorin said all FAB companies, numbering more than 90, were authorized to operate being under industries permitted to open during MECQ. Employed are more than 40,000 workers but under the quarantine status only 50 percent are allowed to work.
She said that AFAB asked that proper measures known to the locators and the workers be implemented.
“Ito’y upang maiwasan ang hindi pagkakaintindihan sa pagitan ng parehong panig na maaaring magdulot ng malaking panganib sa kalusugan at kaligtasan ng lahat gaya ng hindi inaasahang pag-iipon ng mga manggagawa sa mga daanan papasok at palabas ng trabaho,” Ellorin said.
“Tinitiyak ng AFAB ang agarang aksyon, mahigpit na pagpapatupad, at nararapat na pananagutan patungkol rito upang hindi na ito mangyaring muli,” the information officer said.
She disclosed that the authority is looking for any violation on Republic Act 11332 or mandatory reporting of notifiable diseases and health events of public health concern.
“Sa kabila ng mga nabanggit, magrerekomenda ang AFAB ng pagtigil ng pagdadagdag ng mga manggagawa at/o kanselasyon ng ipinasang listahan ng mga manggagawa para sa alin mang registered enterprises na mapapatunayang may pagkukulang matapos ang assessment na gagawin sa katapusan ng linggo,” Ellorin said.
