Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases traced to the two “hotspots” in Iloilo City, particularly call center firm iQor and the Iloilo Fishing Port Complex (IFPC), swelled to 260, based on the latest data from the Iloilo City government.
As of August 11, 2020, Iloilo City government recorded a total of 131 confirmed cases from IQOR Iloilo and 129 cases detected from the IFPC.
The combined cases traced from the two affected establishments reached 260 – accounting for more than half of local cases in Iloilo City which is at 376 (excluding imported cases).
On Monday, Treñas issued Executive Order No. 122 on Monday imposing a full extension of the localized containment in iQor, Iloilo City Fishing Port Complex, and other affected barangays in the metro.
According to the mayor, iQor sites can open after decontamination.
He reiterated that only agents with negative real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests can work, provided that safety protocols will be implemented.
“The iQor sites can open after decontamination and agents with negative RT-PCR tests can work as long as protocols are in place – 50 percent capacity and cubicles in place at the canteen,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Iloilo Fishing Port was first placed under lockdown last August 2 after a COVID-19 fatality was recorded in the area.
Since then, COVID-19 cases traced to the port continued to spike.
According to the mayor, the surge in COVID-19 cases in the fishing port were possibly caused by fishing boats from high-risk areas in the country that deliver their catch to the port. The lack of health protocols imposed in the port is also a factor.
Meanwhile, the Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) industry in Iloilo said that the bulk of positive call center agents contracted their virus from their barangays after being exposed to a confirmed case.
Joeven Tansi, executive director of the Iloilo Federation for Information Technology (I-FIT) said the index case or the first case in the IT-BPM sector involved a call center agent who was exposed to a positive locally stranded individual (LSI).
“Based from an information, our agent who contracted the virus was exposed from one LSI nga bag-o lang nag-abot. Iban halin sa mga areas nga hotspot or with local transmission,” he said.
Tansi said health protocols in the IT-BPM industry in the metro have been strictly implemented in different layers.
The first layer included thermal scanning procedure before allowing a person to enter the building.
Another thermal scanning procedure is also observed before an employee proceeds to his/her work area.
Each employee is required to disinfect their cubicles before and after leaving the work area. A designated sanitation team also regularly disinfects the building.
BPO companies also have clinics in their building where any employee who will manifest signs and symptoms of COVID-19 will be referred for proper medication.
According to Tansi, they are also arranging work from home arrangement schedules especially for their employees who are affected with localized lockdowns.
“We are talking about national companies here so we are institutionalizing practices of India and United States,” he said.
Tansi admitted that their employees suffered discrimination – from agents expelled from
their boarding houses, while others were refused by public vehicles.
Nevertheless, he assured the IT-BPM sector in the city will comply with the decision and restrictions imposed by the local government unit (LGU). He also acknowledged the proactive leadership of Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas.
“As per decision sang LGU, and national government, we will comply. We prioritize the lives of our employees more than the profit,” Tansi said.
As per their record, there are around 33,000 call center agents, IT services, shared and inhouse employees of the IT-BPM sector in Iloilo.
Meanwhile, BPO firms operating in Iloilo totaled to around 75 to 80, according to Tansi. (ERS)
