By Emme Rose Santiagudo
The local business sector in Iloilo City will exert every effort to bounce back from the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) once Iloilo City transitions to Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ).
The business community, however, will have to wait until the national government approves the city government’s appeal to slide from GCQ to MGCQ.
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Iloilo Chapter said they are realistically setting their expectations that while MGCQ will allow more industries to operate, it will take a great effort and sacrifice to fully recover.
“All industries and business establishments will try their best to recover, if not survive at the very least.
It will take great effort and sacrifice to get back on our feet as the market is down, purchasing power is limited, there are still no commercial flights and sea trips, and the need for confidence-building measures that will ensure that it is safe to go out and resume our lives again,” PCCI Iloilo Chapter president and lawyer Jobert Peñaflorida told Daily Guardian on Friday.
The national Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has classified Iloilo City as moderate-risk which means that it will remain under GCQ from June 1 to June 15, 2020.
But, President Rodrigo Duterte in his national address on Thursday announced that only National Capital Region (NCR), Region 2, Region 3, Region 4-A, Pangasinan, Albay, and Davao City will remain under GCQ.
All other areas in the country will all be under MGCQ, the president added.
Mayor Jerry Treñas already appealed to the national IATF to place the city under the more “permissive” MGCQ.
PCCI Iloilo supported the mayor’s appeal in a letter of reconsideration addressed to the IATF.
“As the economic center of Western Visayas, Iloilo City seriously needs to reinvigorate its business with the allowance of more sectors and industries to operate under the MGCQ provided that the city government continues to earnest efforts of ensuring strict compliance to health and safety protocols,” the PCCI letter said.
Peñaflorida said the letter of reconsideration was written with the necessary caution that businesses must ensure strict compliance with health protocols while pushing for the revival of the economy.
Except for essential establishments, almost all businesses succumbed to the two-month lockdown in Iloilo City.
On May 16, Iloilo City transitioned to GCQ and allowed more businesses to operate at a limited capacity and subject to minimum health standards.
But the limited movement of people, travel restrictions, quarantine protocols, and safety standards forced businesses to resort to online modes of operation while others opted to remain closed.
Peñaflorida said it will be an uphill climb for businesses, especially in the tourism sector, micro, and small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to recover from its losses.
“But those in the tourism sector will find great challenge due to various travel restrictions at this time. It will be an uphill climb for businesses, especially the micro and SMEs. From working capital, financing, marketing, logistics, the challenges are too many to hurdle. More than generating income, most businesses are struggling to survive so as to provide employment to its people,” he said.
According to Peñaflorida, this will be the time for businesses to be more creative and explore new possibilities and platforms in order to thrive amid the Covid-19.
“This is the time for businesses to be more creative, to find better and more efficient and exciting ways of doing things, of exploring new possibilities and platforms, especially digital, to be sensitive to what people need at this time and to remain relevant,” he said.
MGCQ RULES
Based on the guidelines of the IATF issued on May 22, areas under MGCQ will maintain minimum public health standards.
All persons shall now be allowed to go outside their residences under MGCQ.
Indoor and outdoor non-contact sports and other forms of exercise such as but not limited to walking, jogging, running, biking, golf, swimming, tennis, badminton, equestrian, and skateboarding are also allowed provided that the minimum public health standards such as the wearing of masks and maintenance of social distancing protocols, and no sharing of equipment will be observed.
The MGCQ also allows mass gathering such as but not limited to, movie screenings, and concerts, sporting events, and other entertainment activities, community assemblies, and non-essential work gatherings, provided that participants shall be limited to 50 percent of the venue or seating capacity.
Religious gatherings shall also be allowed under such guidelines as may be declared through subsequent issuances of the IATF.
Meanwhile, physical reporting may resume in all public and private offices with alternative work arrangements for persons who are 60 years old and above with immunodeficiency, comorbidity, or, other health risks, and pregnant women.
During the MGCQ, road, rail, maritime, and aviation sectors of the public transportation shall be allowed to operate at the capacity in accordance with guidelines issued by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) provided that in all public transports, a strict one meter distance between passengers shall be observed and appropriate engineering controls shall be in place.
All public and private construction projects shall be allowed subject to the construction safety guidelines issued by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the implementation of infrastructure projects during the Covid-19 pandemic.
All permitted establishments and activities under Category I-IV of Section 4(6) the Omnibus Guidelines of the IATF shall be allowed to operate or be undertaken at full operational capacity.
MGCQ also permits barbershops, salons, and other personal care service establishments, at a maximum of 50 percent of venue capacity.
Moreover, dine-in service in food retail establishments such as supermarkets, grocery stores, and food preparation establishments will be allowed at a maximum of fifty percent of seating capacity.
Treñas said that all businesses will be open once the city transitions to MGCQ.
“The MGCQ is almost the new normal amo na nga mayo gid na maplastar na ina. The City Hall will be working at 100 percent as well as all other government offices,” he said.
The mayor said he is closely coordinating with the Land Transportation and Regulatory Franchising Board (LTFRB) on additional public utility jeepneys (PUJs) since 50 percent of the PUJs can now operate under MGCQ.
