Cebu Pacific execs take paycut to save workers !-- -- Richmond Mercurio (The Philippine Star) - March 10, 2020 - 12:00am MANILA, Philippines Cebu Pacific senior managers have decided to take the hit for the company instead of laying off workers as travel restrictions brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak continue to take a toll on the budget carrier. Charo Logarta-Lagamon, spokesperson for Cebu Pacific, confirmed yesterday the news that first appeared on esquire.

ph, which said the airline's senior management officials have agreed to take pay cuts to avoid reducing its workforce. Lagamon said the pay cut would cover all of Cebu Pacific's senior management.

"It's the least that can be done given the challenging situation and it's the right thing to do," Lagamon said. The 10-percent pay cut that has been reportedly agreed upon by the Cebu Pacific senior management officials, however, was not confirmed by Lagamon.

Cebu Pacific, the country's largest budget carrier owned by the Gokongwei family, currently has over 4,000 personnel. JG Summit Holdings Inc.

, one of the country's biggest conglomerates that is also owned by the Gokongweis, is preparing to implement a work-at-home measure for the company and its subsidiaries to reduce the risk of the spread of the new coronavirus. JG Summit president and CEO Lance Gokongwei said the measure is not yet in place but the company will be ready to implement it in the coming days.

Cebu Pacific said earlier that travel prospects for 2020 are being affected by the COVID-19 scare, with refunds made to customers who cancel or postpone trips to China. It said refunds alone due to canceled flights to China, Hong Kong and Macau have already reached over P2 billion.

Air Carriers Association of the Philippines Inc. executive director and vice chairman Roberto Lim said the magnitude of losses among local carriers has already reached billions and they are expected to burn cash further as they continue to fly with empty seats.

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines announced a retrenchment process resulting in the separation of about 300 ground-based administrative and management personnel as part of a business restructuring initiative to increase revenues and reduce costs.Amid the spread of COVID-19 in the country, labor groups yesterday pressed for the adoption of measures to protect workers from the virus and possible job displacement.

"Let us be pro-active rather than just be reactive. Let us all keep our communities and workplaces safe for our lives and jobs," said Luis Corral, vice president of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines.

With Iris Gonzales, Mayen Jaymalin, Pia Lee-Brago

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