Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 19) — Roughly 95% of sectors in the Philippines have been allowed to operate under looser quarantine rules, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said on Monday.
At the Laging Handa virtual briefing, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said more businesses in the service sector were given the go signal to return to 100% capacity as the government boosts efforts toward economic recovery.
“Last week, in-allow na po iyong maraming sevices sectors katulad ng legal, accounting, engineering, IT, programming, allowed na po sila from 50% to 100% operating capacity still under GCQ,” Lopez said. “Ibig sabihin pwede ho tayong makapag-reopen ng economy.”
[Translation: Last week, we allowed services sectors such as legal, accounting, engineering, IT, and programming, they are already allowed to increase their operating capacity from 50% to 100% still under GCQ. This means we can reopen the economy.
“Ninety-five percent ng sectors are technically allowed na,” he added.
The DTI recently issued Memorandum Circular 20–52 authorizing businesses operating under Categories II and III in areas under the general community quarantine to operate at full capacity, except for barbershops, and salons.
As the country approaches the Christmas rush, Lopez also encouraged the implementation of mall-wide sales to spur economic activity, citing the recent recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force.
“Ang mall-wide sales, payagan ulit natin para ma-restimulate ulit yung dami ng tao sa mall dahil nakita natin as we reopen hindi pa rin ganoon kadami ang mga customers, mga pumupunta sa malls.”
[Translation: Mall-wide sales are encouraged anew to restimulate the number of mall goers because we previously witnessed that even as we reopened, there was no still increase in the number of customers.]
Lopez also noted that the recent call of Metro Manila mayors to extend the region’s general community quarantine status up until the end of the year “would set a perfect balance” as the national government continues to manage the coronavirus.
“Para sa kabuhayan, at least naibabalik iyong sigla ng ekonomiya kahit na GCQ po tayo (For the sake of everyone’s livelihood, at least we are working toward nourishing the economy once again even if we are under GCQ),” he said. “I think this is like a perfect balance as we learn to manage this virus.”
The Philippines on Sunday recorded over 356,000 COVID-19 cases, with the death toll hitting over 6,600 and 310,000 recoveries.
