The labor department said Monday it would back the full resumption of business operations under general community quarantine to jumpstart the economy after nearly seven months of quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Malaking bagay 'yan sa manggagawa. Sinusuportahan ko po 'yan. Kasi kawawa ang ating mga worker. Ilang buwan na silang walang trabaho (That's a big thing for workers. I support it. I feel sorry for our workers. They've been unemployed for months)," Labor Sec. Silvestre Bello III told told TeleRadyo.
Earlier, the Department of Trade and Industry permitted 17 more industries to operate at full capacity in areas under GCQ, including mining, financial services, film and TV production, publishing and printing services, commercial centers, and non-leisure establishments, to name a few.
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Restaurants can increase operating capacity to beyond 50% as long as physical distancing protocols and health guidelines are followed. Food establishments can also offer 24-hour dine-in and delivery services.
Last week, popular island destination Boaracay reopened its doors to visitors to help the tourism industry get back on its feet.
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Bello urged the Department of Transportation to increase ridership on public transport to accommodate workers.
"Kung minsan may trabaho, hindi naman makapasok dahil walang sasakyan (If people do have jobs, sometimes they cannot go to work because they have nothing to ride to get there)," he said.
