Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Emmanuel Piñol is submitting himself to self-quarantine as soon as he arrives in the country on Saturday from attending the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) in Kota Kinabalu Malaysia on March 12-13.

In his Facebook post on Thursday night, Piñol said he and his two staff will undergo a voluntary quarantine to ensure that they are safe from the virus.

“I will submit myself to medical check-up and stay in my farm for one week,” he added.

As the chairperson of MinDA, Piñol was invited to be one of the panelists in the forum, where he presented the impact of the transfer of Indonesia’s capital to East Kalimantan, Borneo on the economy of the sub-region of Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

On the other hand, following the recent developments on the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, he issued an order suspending work at all MinDA offices.

“So as to maintain our linkage with our clientele, I have ordered the creation of a 10-man skeletal force headed by a senior officer to man the office on a daily rotation basis,” he said.

Piñol also advised the employees to stay home but to continue linkages with their clients through digital communications.

“All MinDA officials and employees are enjoined to observe these directives,” he said. (PNA)