A barbershop at Corregidor St., Quezon City accommodates their first clients as Metro Manila returns to general community quarantine (GCQ) on Wednesday. The Department of Trade and Industry allowed the reopening of salons, gyms and dine-in restaurants with the easing of the community quarantine starting August 19. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News
MANILA - Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Monday expressed support on the full resumption businesses under relaxed quarantine restrictions to restimulate the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Malaking bagay 'yan sa manggagawa. Sinusuportahan ko po 'yan. Kasi kawawa ang ating ang mga worker. Ilang buwan na silang walang trabaho," he told Teleradyo.
"That's a big thing for workers. I support that. I feel sorry for them. They've been unemployed for months.)
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) had authorized more businesses to operate at full capacity in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ).
Among them are those involved in mining, financial services, advertising, film and TV production, commercial centers, and non-leisure establishments.
Restaurants and food establishments under GCQ are also allowed to operate beyond 50 percent capacity subject to physical distancing, the DTI had said.
Bello also called on the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to increase ridership in public transportation as more workers go to work.
"Kung minsan may trabaho, hindi naman makapasok dahil walang sasakyan," he said.
Metro Manila, Bacolod, Tacloban, Iloilo City, Batangas, and Iligan will remain under GCQ until Oct. 31.
Lanao del Sur will be under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) for the duration, while the rest of the country will remain under or shift to the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
The Philippines implements a 4-level community quarantine scheme ranging from the strictest, enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), to the most relaxed which is MGCQ.
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