Parañaque requires employees to undergo biometrics scanning

MANILA, Philippines — The Parañaque City government has directed all department heads and employees to submit themselves to biometrics scanning starting today as proof of their attendance for any given day.

In a memorandum, city administrator Voltaire de la Cruz said that in the absence of a scanner, employees are required to register their official time-in in a logbook that will be stationed on every floor at the city hall.

De la Cruz – citing Section 5, Rule 17 of the Omnibus Rules Implementing Book V of Executive Order 292 – said all government officials and employees are required to render eight working hours a day for five days a week or a total of 40 hours a week, excluding time for lunch.

“The normal working hours shall be from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The earlier memoranda on attendance in flag ceremonies on Mondays and disinfection on Fridays stand,” he pointed out.

Those who have previous approvals on flexible working hours and alternative work arrangements shall be maintained subject to applicable Civil Service Commission rules and regulations on the matter, the city administrator said.

De la Cruz said a biometrics attendance system “helps local government units and companies keep a record of employee attendance via a single fingerprint scan, boosts the company’s security and helps with efficient payroll.”

However, he said that officials and employees with special work assignments; special schedule of work; required to be doing field work; and those under the disaster risk reduction and management office, city health office and Ospital ng Parañaque I and II shall be exempt from biometrics scanning.

Officials and employees who fail to register their attendance in logbooks but are out on official business shall file a permit to leave for that purpose, De la Cruz said.

He added that situations not contemplated in the memorandum shall require written exemption from his office.

The memorandum also directs the city human resources office to consolidate and maintain records of attendance of all officials and employees for proper reference in the computation of any warranted deductions for tardiness and absences.