Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said Friday that the partial reopening of restaurants and personal care industry in NCR Plus areas is expected to result in 300,000 jobs.
Lopez told Dobol B TV that the figures may not be that big but it would at least address the unemployment amid implementation of the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).
“Kahit papaano makakadagdag [ng trabaho],” he said.
Lopez said employment is DTI’s primary consideration in proposing to allow dine-in operations and personal care services.
“Para mabalik man lang yung trabaho nung marami nating nagugutom na kababayan [so that many of our hungry countrymen can go back to their jobs],” he said.
However, the DTO chief said not all restaurants may be allowed to reopen as some may cite that 10% capacity may not be enough to cover operational expenses.
“Call na nung restaurant, kung sa tingin nila ay malulugi lang siyempre di nila gagawin yun (magbukas), we leave it up to them,” he said.
Partial reopening of establishments in NCR Plus to result in 300,000 jobs —DTI
Trade Undersecretary Ruth Castelo said Thursday that at least one million workers remain “displaced” in NCR Plus areas due to the imposition of modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).
Castelo said during the Laging Handa briefing that the figure was down from the 1.5 million displaced employees recorded when NCR Plus (Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, and Laguna) was under strictest enhanced community quarantine.
“1.5 million employees in NCR Plus were displaced during ECQ but 500,000 of them were able to return to their jobs under MECQ,” Castelo said.
Castelo said that in personal care services alone, there are already 400,000 displaced workers, while 100,000 workers of restaurants with indoor dining also lost their jobs under MECQ.
“Iyong personal care services po, barbershops and salons lang po ito. Hindi kasama ang spa and massage [services]. Kaya nga po iyon ang rekomendasyon ng DTI [na magbukas ng ibang industriya] para unti-unti, dahan-dahan na pong makabalik sa trabaho iyong one million who were displaced,” Castelo said.
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