Over 43K establishments get safety seal from government

by Louella Desiderio – The Philippine Star, 6 Oct 2021

MANILA, Philippines — Over 43,000 public and private establishments have secured safety seal certifications from the government as of this month.

In a joint statement yesterday, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Health (DOH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Tourism (DOT) said a total of 43,332 safety seals have been approved and issued by government agencies and local government units (LGUs) out of 85,731 applications received as of Oct.1.

Meanwhile, 9,858 of the applications were either denied or referred to the appropriate agency, while the balance is still in the inspection process.

Safety seals are issued to establishments found compliant to minimum public health protocols against COVID-19.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the safety seal certification program would help in the country’s recovery efforts by increasing consumer confidence.

Through the certification program, he said consumers are assured establishments with safety seals are compliant with health protocols.

He encouraged other establishments to apply for safety seals to help curb the spread of the virus.

“Businesses can do their share in the fight against the pandemic and create a healthy space for consumers to transact their purchases and for employees to gainfully and safely earn a living,” he said.

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said owners of establishments under strict quarantine restrictions, in particular, should take this time to apply for safety seals.

“Applying for a safety seal is not mandatory. However, business establishments are highly encouraged to apply since this will also help them attract customers, which eventually lead to increased sales and profit,” he said.

DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the safety seals “will build confidence that their respective companies are committed to ensuring the health and safety of their stakeholders and workers.”

Under the implementing guidelines for the safety seal certification program, a business establishment may apply if it is duly registered, adopting the Staysafe.ph or any other LGU-mandated digital contact tracing application, and strictly following and implementing minimum public health protocols set by the government.

“The implementation of the safety seal program is a very laudable initiative that highly reinforces our country’s response to combat COVID-19. As we gradually reopen our economy, it is important to ensure that our people are safe, and adherence to minimum public health standards is one vital key to this aspect,” DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said.

“The safety seal certification program bodes well with the DOT’s priority to ensure the health and safety of both tourists and tourism workers. That being said, I am encouraging all tourism establishments to apply for a safety seal, strictly comply with the health and safety guidelines, and have all their employees vaccinated. Let us continue to make travel fun and safe for all,” DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said.

Business establishments that are allowed to open under Alert Level 4 and have safety seals may operate at an additional 10 percentage points beyond the prescribed operational or venue capacity set by the government.

The government recently allowed the reopening of gyms and raised by 10 percent the allowed capacity for indoor operations of dine-in restaurants and personal care service establishments in Alert Level 4.

Under the DTI’s Memorandum Circular 21-34, gyms and fitness studios for individual non-contact exercise are allowed to operate at 20 percent capacity in Alert Level 4, provided all workers and clients are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and wearing masks at all times, and no group activities are being conducted.

Indoor dine-in restaurants, barbershops, hair spas, nail spas and beauty salons are allowed to operate at 20 percent capacity in Alert Level 4, but all workers and customers have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

For outdoor operations, dine-in restaurants, barbershops, hair spas, nail spas and beauty salons in Alert Level 4 are allowed to operate at 30 percent capacity and all their workers should have complete COVID-19 vaccination.

Metro Manila is under Alert Level 4 until Oct. 15.