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DTI sees ‘good chance’ in allowing dine-in restos to reopen in GCQ areas


The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is looking at the possibility of allowing restaurants and food service establishments to reopen their dine-in services in areas under a more relaxed general community quarantine (GCQ).

“There’s a good chance na ma-include ang dine-in, we just have to review the minimum health protocols,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said during the Senate committee of the whole virtual hearing on Thursday.

This, after Senator Cynthia Villar suggested to the DTI to allow dine-in services to reopen even at 50% capacity to save the food business from the brink of bankruptcy.

“You know, 95% of our business are small and micro and 50% of small and micro are in food. So 'pag hindi po binuksan ang mga seat-in magde-declare silang lahat ng bankruptcy. I just want to inform you na malaki ang problema ng mga restaurant,” Villar said.

Lopez recognized that a lion’s share or 70% of restaurants and food establishments’ revenues come from dine-in operations

“Sa ngayon na nabubuhay sila sa take-out and deliveries...,” he said.

“Ganito po ang situation, under GCQ ngayon po pinag-aaralan ang pag-include ng dine-in. Sa Sabado po we are visiting some fast foods [and] general na tipo ng restaurant,” he added.

The Trade chief noted that authorities will look into how health protocols will be applied in a dine-in setup.

“‘Pag tayo ay nakumbinisi na safe po kumain [sa dine-in] at mai-implement ang minimum health protocols. We shall allow, of course, we will propose the opening of dine-in,” Lopez said.

“Tama po ‘yung sabi ninyo na kahit 50% kasi for them to have social distancing,” he said.—AOL, GMA News
 

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