‘Ano ba talagang plano?’ business owners ask after aborted return to GCQ

A Korean restaurant owner expressed dismay after P300,000 worth of meat and side dishes she ordered were sidelined by the halted return to the more relaxed general community quarantine (GCQ).

On September 7, Malacañang announced that Metro Manila will remain under MECQ until September 15, deferring the pilot implementation of the GCQ with alert level system which was initially set to begin on September 8.

“Ano ba talaga ang plano sa amin ng gobyerno? Ano ba? Ewan ko na din,” Inchang Mendoza said in Mariz Umali’s report on “24 Oras.”

“Dati kasi ayaw ko talagang nakikialam, pero sa mga nakita ko, sa mga nangyayari, sino ba ang dapat naming ano? Lahat naman ng pagsunod ginawa na namin,” Mendoza added.

One of Mendoza’s staff said he hoped that the announcement was a prank as he had traveled all the way from Cavite to report for work.

“Iniisip ko baka prank to, sana prank lang ‘to. Kasi, ako tulad ko, byumahe pa po ako, galing pa po akong Cavite,” Grey Natividad said.

Salon owner Angel Cabales and Carinderia owner Elaida Alcantara also expressed dismay over the sudden announcement.

“Parang pinapaasa na lang kami. Habang buhay na magsasara ‘yung mga business namin. Saan kami kukuha ng pang kabuhayan,” Cabales said.

Meanwhile, the Employer’s Confederation of the Philippines said that though it understands the need for strict quarantine measures, it hoped that the quarantine classifications would be ironed out.

“Maigi na ‘yung plantsahin na nilang mabuti dahil lalong mabigat kung magkakaroon ng confusion,” ECOP presidento Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. said.

For its part, the Inter-Agency Task Force Against COVID-19 admitted that the government lacked preparation.

“So sa susunod po siguro, bilang lesson learned ng pamahalaan ay kinkailangang nakahanda talaga lahat ng guidelines bago magkaroon ng anunsyo,” retired general Restituto Padilla Jr. said.—Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF, GMA News