Business sector lauds shorter curfew, easing of quarantine restrictions

The country’s business sector welcomed the government’s move to further ease community quarantine restrictions, saying this will further boost the COVID-19-battered economy.

In a statement, members of the private sector-led Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat campaign — a consortium of the country’s biggest companies and brands — said the easing of restrictions for shopping malls and commercial centers are coupled with health and safety measures in their establishments to ensure the safety of consumers who can now go out of their homes.

This, after the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) allowed persons aged 18 to 65 to leave their homes starting October 22.

Previously, the age group of authorized persons outside residence was only 21 to 60 years old.

The IATF also adjusted the curfew hours, which were previously 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., it is now from midnight to 4 a.m.

“With the safe and gradual reopening of retail spaces, we are ensuring the well-being of our patrons but also that more people are able to recover their sources of livelihood,” SM Supermalls president Steven Tan said.

“SM has over 89,000 direct micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) partners,” Tan said.

For his part, Megaworld’s chief strategy officer Kevin Tan, said: “We believe that the increases in operational capacity made possible by the new guidelines will have a positive impact on employment. A shorter and later curfew would also allow workers to travel with ease and will prevent situations of overcrowding because people are rushing home to beat the curfew.” 

Latest data from the Labor Force Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority estimates that 4.6 million Filipinos became unemployed this year.

Areas still under general community quarantine, such as Southern Tagalog and Metro Manila experienced the highest jobless rates at 12.4% and 15.8%, respectively.

Megaworld’s Tan noted that the strong mall culture in the Philippines, adding that “most shoppers still want to visit brick and mortar stores, especially for items that they would want to fit. Plus malls have become one stop shops for us - it’s where we do business and also bond with our loved ones.”

Also benefiting from the relaxing of the restrictions are businesses such as fast-food chains and restaurants.

McDonald’s Philippines president and CEO Kenneth Yang is looking forward to more diners.

“We’re thankful, this is a welcome development. Customers now have more time to visit us. More operating hours will translate to additional shifts; this means more of our people can go back to work,” Yang said.

For his part, George Royeca, chief transport advocate of Angkas and proponent of Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat, underscores that learning to live with COVID-19 entails vigilance.

“This is a dynamic situation. We’re careful but not fearful – we know that by following basic safety protocols, by taking care of ourselves and others – we will be able to safely move toward recovery,” Royeca said.

The Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat campaign is led by the nation’s largest corporations and best-loved brands including Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Alliance Global Group (Megaworld, Resorts World, Emperador), Jollibee Foods Corporation, McDonald’s Philippines, Goldilocks, BDO, BPI, Metrobank, Paymaya, Alaska, Champion, Century Pacific Food Inc., Coca Cola Philippines, Oishi Liwayway Marketing Corp., PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble Philippines, RFM Corporation, Unilever, Petron/San Miguel Corporation, Shell, Ayala Malls, Filinvest Development Corporation, Robinsons Malls, SM Supermalls, Globe Telecom, Smart Communications, Angkas and Food Panda.

Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat is part of the private sector’s support for Taskforce T3 (Test, Trace, Treat), the multi-sector initiative put together in April 2020 to work closely with the Department of Health (DOH), the National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19, and the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to manage the outbreak of the pandemic in the country. — RSJ, GMA News