Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 13) — Business group leaders have called on establishments to innovate and adapt to the new normal resulting from the coronavirus pandemic in order to survive the crisis.
“[W]e have to adapt to the new normal,” said Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX) National Affairs Committee Chairman Eduardo Yap in a Laging Handa press briefing, adding that face-to-face transactions are unavailable at the meantime.
With this, businesses must adjust and be innovative, he said. One of the ways firms may do this is by making use of the Internet, which proved to be beneficial for some establishments.
“[M]ga dating mga may tindahan, tumatanggap na sila ng mga orders via online and they do home to home deliveries. Iyan ay isang makakatulong,” explained Yap.
[Translation: Those who have (physical) stores before now accept orders online and conduct home-to-home deliveries — these can also help (businesses.)]
Establishments such as restaurants may also offer such delivery services to augment revenues they lost due to the COVID-19 crisis, said Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Amb. Benedicto Yujuico. Yap, meanwhile, noted that some businessmen even reported up to a 65 percent spike in their revenues since they started taking on these services.
Effective June 15, restaurants under general community quarantine may resume dine-in operations but only up to 30 percent capacity. This is to help the workers of these establishments who have been having a hard time due to strict stay-at-home rules.
READ: IATF OKs reopening restaurant dine-in under GCQ areas
“[I]tong 30 percent lang ang papayagan sa dine-in, you know, you don’t have to be a genius – malulugi pa rin sila. Pero they can keep their business open because hindi naman forever magiging 30 percent iyan eh,” he added.
[Translation: This (decision to) allow only 30 percent in terms of dine-in operations, you know, you don’t have to be a genius (to know) they (restaurants) will still suffer losses. But they can keep their businesses open because the permitted dine-in capacity will not remain 30 percent forever.]
“[A]ng sabi namin, gawin ninyo lahat ang innovation because eventually ay makakabangon tayo dito and the idea is you stay alive,” said Yujuico.
[Translation: We told them to perform all the innovations they can because we will eventually recover from this (crisis) and the idea is you stay alive while at it.]
The government is also helping small businesses, he said, adding that the Trade Department has a platform which helps small enterprises bring their businesses online.
However, restoring the confidence of employees and customers should be done first and foremost as the problem establishments face is ultimately health-related, reminded Yap.
“Kaya para dito, ang kailangan ay iyong tinatawag na anti-COVID health protocols. Kabisado na natin kung anu-ano iyang mga iyan, mga protocols na iyan, kailangan sundin po natin lahat iyan,” he explained.
[Translation: In order to do this, what we need are the so-called anti-COVID (19) health protocols. We already know by heart what these protocols are, so we just need to follow all of them.]
“We have to build confidence so that the demand will be developed at darating po iyong demand ng mga customers,” said Yap.
[Translation: We have to build confidence so that the customer demand will develop and eventually come.]
