Establishments have been reporting 50 to 80 percent of their pre-pandemic transactions and sales during the first weekend of the Alert Level 2 in the National Capital Region, an indication of their recovery, according to Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez.
But while Lopez cites government data that the remaining 100,000 of the 1.8 million workers displaced since the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine in March have gone back to work, a public-private goal of creating 1 million jobs by the end of 2021 will not be met in time.
At the Laging Handa public briefing, Employers Confederation of the Philippines president Sergio Ortiz-Luis said the National Employment Recovery Strategy target will be hit in January, a month late than deadline, attributing this to the surge in new coronavirus disease 2019 cases in August that led to the imposition of strict quarantines.
Ortiz-Luis said latest report showed 250,000 jobs have so far been created, mostly in business process outsourcing, electronics, construction and hotels.
Ortiz-Luis also said with Alert Level 2, hundreds of thousands of jobs will be back and will be a big boost to small businesses.
He said ECOP sees the transportation and tourism sectors to recover in two years as they have yet to operate at higher capacities.
Lopez in a separate press briefing in Malacanang, said for Alert Level 2, restaurants have increased their capacities to 50 percent for indoor and fully-vaccinated and 70 percent for outdoor dining and children Personal care services and gyms also now operate at 50 percent capacity. Minors have also been allowed to go out.
Lopez said loosening the restrictions in time for Christmas will be a big boost to economic activities.
“Christmas this year will be more prosperous than last year,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lopez announced the Department of Trade and Industry will publish a list of noche buena products whose prices are unchanged as a free promotion for consumers to patronize.
He said some brands of ham, queso de bola, pasta and fruit cocktail will not increase their prices.
Lopez welcomed the current Alert Level 2 in Metro Manila which he said could be sustained beyond the Christmas holidays provided that the people continue to observe the minimum health standards especially when they go out of their homes. He said it could even be lowered to Alert Level 1 if the coronavirus disease cases continue to go down. – Irma Isip and Jocelyn Montemayor
