This accounting alert circulates the guidelines adopted and promulgated by the IC in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and the imposition of a 'community quarantine' in the NCR.
Introduction
The Insurance Commission (IC), in its Circular Letter No. 2020-12 issued on March 16, 2020, issued guidelines governing the conduct of business in the IC during the community quarantine period to all entities regulated by the IC and other concerned persons as its response to the recent announcement of the imposition of a community quarantine by the President of the Philippines and pursuant to the Memorandum issued by the Executive Secretary with the subject "Stringent Social Distancing Measures and Further Guidelines for the Management of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation". Among the issues addressed are the adoption, coordination, and implementation of alternative working arrangements and creation of skeletal workforces during the community quarantine period and the suspension and/or adjustment of processing times of certain transactions undertaken by IC, as warranted by Section 9 of Republic Act (RA) No. 11032 or the "Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018". A summary is provided as follows:
Guidelines Adopted by the IC
- Submission of Regulatory Reportorial Requirements. The submission of all regular reportorial requirements falling due within the community quarantine period (or until the extension thereof) shall be extended for a period of 30 days from due date.
- Submission of Other Documentary Requirements. All documentary requirements not falling within item no. 1 above shall be submitted on the due date originally indicated, unless the Insurance Commissioner shall, upon a written request and for meritorious reasons, grant an extension for such submission.
- Deferment of Decisions or Rulings on Matters Necessitating the Same. Any matter necessitating decisions of or rulings by the IC may, at the discretion of the Insurance Commissioner, be temporarily deferred and later made after the expiry of the community quarantine period or the extension thereof.
- Processing Times for Transactions and/or Other Applications or Requests for Services. The respective processing times for all transactions as defined under RA No. 11032 and other applications or requests for services may be adjusted by the IC on a 'case-to-case' basis. Accordingly, there shall be no automatic approvals of transactions and/or applications or requests for services under pertinent regulations issued by the IC for the duration of the community quarantine period or until the extension thereof.
- Hearings before the Claims Adjudication Division (CAD) and Regulation, Enforcement and Prosecution Division (REPD). All hearings before CAD and REPD that are scheduled within the community quarantine period (or until the extension thereof) are cancelled, and the CAD and REPD shall notify concerned parties in writing of the new dates/resetting of said scheduled hearings.
- Suspension of Agents' Qualifying Examinations. All agents' qualifying examinations are suspended during the community quarantine period or until the extension thereof, if such extension is ordered by lawful authorities.
- Emailing of Correspondences. All physical copies of correspondences to the IC made during the community quarantine period or any extension thereof, if any, shall be electronically scanned by the sender and e-mailed to ocom@insurance.gov.ph.
Separability Clause and Effectivity
If any provision in this Circular Letter shall be held unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions not otherwise affected shall remain in full force and effect. The Circular Letter No. 2020-12 shall take effect immediately.
See attached circular letter for the details of this publication.
