Number of closed stores decline as lockdown measures ease

By Kris Crismundo, 26 May 2021

MANILA – Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said the number of businesses that closed their operations due to community quarantine restrictions has declined as the government gradually reopened economic activities.

In a speaking engagement Wednesday, Lopez estimated that 8 percent of enterprises remain closed as the NCR Plus — National Capital Region, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal — is under general community quarantine.

He said the number of businesses that stopped their operations were lower from 16 percent when NCR Plus was reverted to enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in March due to the surge of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases.

When the government relaxed lockdown measures to modified ECQ, the number of enterprises that remained closed went down to 12 percent, he added.

The trade chief said the current numbers were better than last year when ECQ was first imposed.

Businesses that halted their operations then were at 38 percent, he added.

“Ngayon nasa GCQ tayo with restrictions, inaasahan natin ngayon maganda ang mga numero (Now that we are under GCQ but with restrictions, we expect that the numbers are good), we can still extend the GCQ. We can continue the GCQ starting June,” Lopez said.

He said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) aims to gradually reopen economic activities to bring back jobs at the same time ensuring there will be no surge again in Covid-19 cases.

“Inaasahan din natin na palakasin, dagdagan ang mga operating capacity moving forward. (We expect to augment, increase the operating capacity moving forward),” Lopez said.

Lopez also encouraged economic front-liners, who are included in the A4 priority group for vaccination, to get their jabs to prevent severe Covid-19 cases that lead to hospitalization and/or death.

He said the DTI is also pushing for the expansion of the definition of A4 list to get more jobs back in the labor market.

Earlier, the top trade official said 1.5 million jobs were lost when the NCR Plus was reverted to ECQ.

From the said number, Lopez said 500,000 jobs were restored during MECQ and additional 200,000 to 300,000 jobs were brought back in the labor market during the GCQ.

He added the two-week ECQ shed PHP180 billion in the gross domestic product and another PHP120 billion during the two-week MECQ. (PNA)