Peñalosa halts gym business amid pandemic: 'Health is more important'

When former two-division world champion Gerry Peñalosa retired from boxing, he turned his focus and career earnings to building boxing gyms around Metro Manila.

His business was a hit so the expansion came rather quickly. Nowadays, however, his gyms are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and it seems to stay that way after General Community Quarantine was extended until June 15.

"Health is more important to me and I do not want to risk my trainers," Peñalosa told GMA News Online in Filipino.

"We don't know if those who come in and out of the gym are cleared (from COVID-19). Besides that, we have guidelines from IATF that we have to follow so we do not have a choice even if we want to open," he added.

Coaches are paid per client they train and since gyms are closed, most of them end up with no income at all. Peñalosa said that he is now letting some of his coaches do personal training so they can earn money while doing the best he can to make sure his workforce does not starve.

"Nobody wanted this. We can't say that we're good at this (managing the business during a pandemic) because this is the first time it happened so we have to face it," said Peñalosa.

"It is hard to sustain. Our trainers are like family so we don't want to see them struggling. Whatever way we can help we help while we are on lockdown. Though they do not have an income at least they get to eat every day."

—MGP, GMA News