MANILA, Philippines — Due to the continuing spread of coronavirus disease 2019, which has been reported in more than 50 countries, the Department of Tourism on Saturday postponed the month-long nationwide mall sale planned for March.
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"As much as we want to mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19, the safety of our citizens remains our priority. We advise the general public to maintain proper hygiene and follow the guidelines set by the Department of Health to contain the spread of the virus," Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said in a Saturday release.
The Tourism department has coordinated with its partner malls and said it is thankful for their support on the decision to postpone the sale.
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The nationwide mall sale is only a portion of the “2020 Philippine Shopping Festival” which aims to attract local and foreign tourists.
According to a 2018 visitor sample survey conducted by the DOT, "shopping is the most common tourist activity in the country," with 38.2% (about 2 in 5) of tourists saying they shopped in the Philippines.
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“The malls are still free to continue their day to day operations,” the department said in its release.
“The DOT also recommends that malls follow the precautionary measures set by the Department of Health...such as checking the temperatures of mall-goers before allowing them to enter and the provision of more hand sanitizers in their premises.”