Better internet needed for fast recovery

DAVAO CITY: The business sector in the Davao region has underscored the need to have a fast and reliable internet speed and signal to ensure and maintain productivity even over great distances during the quarantine period.

Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) Executive Vice President and ICT leader Belinda Torres said, "If we want more people to work from home, we will need solutions at the regional level to improve internet service both the speed and quality.”

"We have written the Secretary of DICT Gregorio Honasan and proposed a way forward for our regions where local task forces can be organized to help the local ICT sector to find solutions to our concerns about connectivity," Torres added.

The Chamber has launched a Business Recovery Agenda (BRA) that combines various initiatives on policy advocacy, business promotion, and capacity building which includes measures to assure safe workplaces to reduce the risk of infection.

The agenda includes proposed measures for companies currently allowed to operate, and companies which will be allowed to operate in case Enhanced Community Quarantine is lifted, such as ensuring available personal protective equipment and work from home options.

Working from home is seen as a means to assure productivity while maintaining physical distance in the workplace.

DCCCII President John Tria called BRA the “framework that will guide our activities for the remainder of 2020. We are taking suggestions from our members and will consolidate them,” he said

(Masiding Noor Yahya)