FREEPORTS AND ECOZONES ECOZONES FREEPORTS AND
PPMC in the new normal By January Guia Caringal-Bawat
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The coronavirus pandemic remains a major threat to the province of La Union. In the past few months, this tourist spot in the Ilocos region has seen small businesses closing down and citizens losing their jobs. To prevent further economic collapse, the Poro Point Management Corporation (PPMC)—a subsidiary of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA)—decided to continue its operations, but not without conducting mass testing, to ensure the safety of their staff and employees. On May 15, 2020, PPMC adopted a policy based on the “Interim Guidelines on Workplace Prevention and Control of
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COVID-19,” issued by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). In the policy, employers are encouraged to have their employees tested on a regular basis. Unfortunately, testing kits are expensive. To lighten their financial load, PPMC president and chief executive officer (CEO) Atty. Felix. S. Racadio sought the help of BCDA president and CEO Vivencio B. Dizon (also the deputy chief implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19). In partnership with the provincial government of La Union, the PPMC staff
