OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF TRADE SECRETARY RAMON LOPEZ ON THE PRONOUNCEMENT OF PRESIDENT DUTERTE TO TEMPORARILY RETURN TO MECQ

In the difficulty of balancing health and the economy, the latest pronouncement of President Rodrigo Duterte is a temporary step back to heed the call of medical practitioners. As mentioned the other day, we are finding ways to address their concerns. We believe in the wisdom of our President to temporarily institute stricter measures under the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) to prevent the growing number of cases, especially in the last five days. In his address, the President also outlined other measures, such as hiring more healthcare workers and providing hazard allowance and insurance, to support the needs of our valued health workers.

Under the MECQ, there are still a number of business sectors allowed although most at limited scale, while some of the recently allowed sectors under GCQ such as dine-in restaurants, barbershops, salons, and the recent additions such as gyms, review and testing centers, other personal grooming shops, internet cafes, shall not be allowed temporarily in the next 15 days.

We hope that this break will allow these businesses to sufficiently prepare for better processes and facilities for compliance to the health standards when they soon reopen.

We wish that this move back to MECQ will break the increasing trend of positive COVID cases and will eventually allow us to bring back the much needed livelihood and jobs to many of our countrymen.