5-day leave for gov’t workers affected by Glenda

MANILA, Philippines - Government employees affected by the recent onslaught of Typhoon Glenda may avail themselves of a five-day emergency leave.

“Civil servants may avail of the special emergency leave,” Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chairman Francisco Duque III announced yesterday.

He said CSC Resolution 1200289 issued on Feb. 8, 2012 grants a five-day special emergency leave to government workers directly affected by natural disasters, specifically to those who are stranded in affected areas, suffering from disease or illness caused by natural calamity, taking care of immediate family members affected by natural calamity/or in need of urgent repair and clean-up of damaged houses.

Duque said special emergency leave can be applied for five straight working days or on a staggered basis and will not be deducted from the employee’s leave credits.

It may be availed of by the affected government employees within 30 days from the first day of calamity declaration by proper government authorities.

The CSC said its policy orders heads of offices to take full responsibility in granting special emergency leave and in verifying the employee’s eligibility to avail of such.

In doing so, heads of offices may validate the place of residence of the affected employee based on latest available records, or verify if the place of residence is covered in the declaration of calamity area, among others.

The CSC said the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Quezon, Albay, Camarines Sur, and Samar were declared under a state of calamity according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.