Consortium lauds easing of quarantine restrictions

CEBU, Philippines —  A consortium of Philippines’ biggest companies welcome the easing of restrictions for shopping malls and commercial centers, saying they are prepared with health and safety measures in place in their establishments to ensure the safety of consumers who can now venture out of their homes.

The group, which created the “Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat” campaign, is participated by Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Alliance Global Group (Megaworld, Resorts World, Emperador), Jollibee Foods Corporation, McDonald’s Philippines, Goldilocks, BDO, BPI, Metrobank, Paymaya, Alaska, Champion, Century Pacific Food Inc., Coca Cola Philippines, Oishi Liwayway Marketing Corp., PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble Philippines, RFM Corporation, Unilever, Petron/San Miguel Corporation, Shell, Ayala Malls, Filinvest Development Corporation, Robinsons Malls, SM Supermalls, Globe Telecom, Smart Communications, Angkas and Food Panda.

The consortium committed to work closely with government authorities and other stakeholders following the recent announcement of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) allowing persons aged 18 to 65 to leave their homes starting October 22.

Previously, the age group of authorized persons outside residence was 21 to 60 years old. Curfew hours, which were previously 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., will now be from midnight to 4 a.m.

According to the group, these changes will give the economy a much-needed boost.

Latest data from the Labor Force Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority estimates that 4.6 million Filipinos became unemployed this year.

“With the safe and gradual reopening of retail spaces, we are ensuring the well-being of our patrons but also that more people are able to recover their sources of livelihood,” emphasized SM Supermalls President Steven T. Tan adding that SM has over 89,000 direct micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) partners.

Aside from the health-mandated safety protocols, SM Supermalls is also introducing other innovations such as cash-free payment systems and other touch-free services. The event centers and open-air parks of its malls have been transformed into creative dining areas where customers can enjoy their favorite eats safely.

For his part, Megaworld’s Chief Strategy Officer, Kevin Tan, said: “We believe that the increases in operational capacity made possible by the new guidelines will have a positive impact on employment. A shorter and later curfew would also allow workers to travel with ease and will prevent situations of overcrowding because people are rushing home to beat the curfew.”

Tan also acknowledged the strong mall culture in the Philippines, adding that “most shoppers still want to visit brick and mortar stores, especially for items that they would want to fit. Plus malls have become one stop shops for us - it’s where we do business and also bond with our loved ones.” Megaworld Lifestyle Malls are gearing up for the expected influx of shoppers by rolling out more safety measures in touchpoints like fitting rooms on top of the sanitation chambers and thermal scanners already in use.

Also benefiting from the relaxing of the restrictions are businesses such as fast-food chains and restaurants.

McDonald’s PH president and CEO Kenneth Yang is looking forward to more diners.

“We’re thankful, this is a welcome development. Customers now have more time to visit us. More operating hours will translate to additional shifts; this means more of our people can go back to work,” Yang said.

George Royeca, Chief Transport Advocate of Angkas and proponent of Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat, underscores that learning to live with COVID-19 entails vigilance.

“This is a dynamic situation. We’re careful but not fearful – we know that by following basic safety protocols, by taking care of ourselves and others – we will be able to safely move toward recovery,” noted Royeca.

The Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat campaign provides establishment owners and consumers with tools and information to safely travel, shop from their favorite stores, and patronize their favorite restaurants. Businesses of all sizes can participate in the campaign by downloading and using the free visual assets available on the website: www.ingat-angat.com.

The assets include downloadable safety reminder templates for print, poster, billboard, and signage that can be used in retail stores and restaurants. Digital templates and a logo generator are also available on the website; making it easy for businesses to lend their voice to the campaign online.

Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat is part of the private sector’s support for Taskforce T3 (Test, Trace, Treat), the multi-sector initiative put together in April 2020 to work closely with the Department of Health (DOH), the National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19, and the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to manage the outbreak of the pandemic in the country.