Preparations against COVID-19 Pandemic
Dear PLM Community,
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought difficult times for everybody. Reports of rapid infection rates in Metro Manila and grim prospects for a worst-case scenario have led the national government to declare the National Capital Region under a “community quarantine” with classes suspended from March 15 to April 14.
Consequently, PLM shall maintain limited operations with essential units on an alternating staff deployment. Such limited operation shall be guided by the Inter Agency Task Force on COVID-19 resolution on work suspension and the issuance by the Civil Service Commission memorandum on four-day work week. As such, all full-time regular employees need not report for work while those who may be assigned to report for duty shall be given compensatory day off. Full time faculty members who carry extra load and those on a ‘contract-of-service’ (COS) appointment shall continue to receive compensation provided that the agreed alternative to classroom room work are delivered and properly documented. Administrative employees on similar COS appointments shall likewise continue to receive their compensation provided that they perform their regular work as needed or assume alternative work that may be assigned to them as stipulated in their work contracts.
Although operating on a limited basis, the PLM management commits to ensure that financial transactions, including payroll preparations and settlement of PLM’s obligations to its suppliers and service providers will not be interrupted.
The PLM management is working with the college deans and department chairs to present an alternative to the classroom-based learning environment should the quarantine period be extended.
Meanwhile, various non-classroom tasks are being considered for implementation during the on-going class suspensions. These may include on-line submissions of projects, or projects that can be completed and submitted once the class suspensions are lifted.
The PLM COVID-19 Task Force has been activated to lead the university efforts in helping contain the spread of this dreaded virus. It shall do its best to inform and educate the community on how to avoid infection by this virus and lead the efforts in making PLM virus-free.
I wish everyone a safe and healthy family throughout this period.
Stay well. United, we shall overcome.
Emmanuel A. Leyco
University President