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MECQ Guide: Which Businesses are Allowed to Open?

Here's a cheat sheet from the DTI.
by Joel Guinto
Apr 12, 2021
Photo/s: reportr.world
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(Editor's Note: This article was last updated on April 12, 2021, at 1 p.m.)

(UPDATE) Here are guidelines from the Department of Trade and Industry on the operating capacities of businesses during the MECQ or Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine.

Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan were placed under MECQ from April 12 to 30 to halt the spread of the coronavirus.

These are based on omnibus guidelines issued in May 2020 and will be updated as rules change.

These businesses are not allowed during MECQ:

Updated as of April 12:

  • Indoor dine-in services
  • Personal care services such as barbershops and salons
  • Venues for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibition
  • Cinemas, theaters, karaoke bars and other entertainment venues with live performers
  • Internet cafes and other recreational venues
  • Kids' amusement and playrooms
  • Outdoor sports courts or venues for contact sports
  • Gyms, fitness studios, and sports facilities
  • Casinos, cockpits, betting shops
  • Tourist attractions
Continue reading below ↓

Not allowed according to omnibus guidelines:

  • Testing and review centers, tutorials, driving schools
  • Libraries, archives, museums and cultural centers
  • Waterparks, beaches and resorts
  • Tour agencies
  • Pet grooming
  • Public and private construction identified by the government as non-essential

These businesses can operate at 100% capacity during MECQ

  • Agriculture, forestry and fisheries
  • Manufacturing of essential goods: food and beverage (only non-alcoholic drinks)
  • Manufacturing of essential goods:hygiene products
  • Manufacturing of essential goods: medicine and vitamins
  • Manufacturing of essential goods: PPEs
  • Manufacturing of essential goods: pet foods, feeds and fertilizer
  • Essential retail: groceries, supermakets, markets, copnvenience stores
  • Food preparation: takeout and delivery
  • Water refilling stations
  • Laundry services
  • Public and private hospitals
  • Health, medical and frontline services including dialysis and chemotherapy centers
  • Other medical, dental and optometry, non-aesthetic dermatological clinics, EENT (with strict health protocols, medical personnel must wear PPEs, dental procedures limited to emergencies
  • Cargo handling, shipping, trucking, freight forwarding
  • Delivery and courier
  • Water supply and sanitation
  • Repair and maintenance of machinery and equipment
  • Telecommunications
  • Energy and power
  • Gasoline stations
  • Workers accredited by the Department of Transportation
  • Airline and aircraft maintenance
  • Essential public and private construction 
  • Manufacturing of equipment for construction works
  • BPO
  • Printing presses
  • Media
  • Mining and quarrying
  • E-commerce
  • Postal, courier and delivery
  • Real estate leasing
  • Housing services (plumbing, roofing and electrical works)
  • Veterinary
  • Security and investigation
  • Funeral and embalming
  • Banks, money transfers, pawnshops, microfinance, credit cooperatives
  • Capital markets such as the Bangko Sentral, Securities and Exchange Commission, Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp, Philippine Depository and Trust Corp
  • Rental and leasing
  • Employment activities
Continue reading below ↓
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These businesses can operate at 50% capacity during MECQ

  • Shopping malls (subject to DTI rules)
  • Other manufacturing including alcoholic drinks, electrical machinery, wood products, furniture, non metallic products, textiles, apparel, tobacco, paper, rubber, plastic, refined petroleum, computers, electronics, motor vehicles, transport equipment
  • Other real estate activities aside from leasing, which is allowed at 100%
  • Office administrative and office support
  • Money exchange, insurance, reinsurance, lending, non-compulsory pension funding
  • Legal and accccounting
  • Management and consultancy
  • Architecture and engineering
  • Scientific research and development
  • Advertising and market research
  • Computer programming
  • Publishing and printing
  • Recruitment and placement agencies for overseas employment
  • Photography, fashion, interior and graphic design
  • Wholesale and retail of motor vehicles, motor bikes and bicycles
  • Repair of motor vehicles, motor bikes
  • Film, music and TV production
  • Restaurants (delivery and takeout only)
  • Hardware stores
  • Clothing stores
  • Bookstores and office supply stores
  • Baby prooducts stores
  • Pet supply stores
  • IT, electronics supply stores
  • Shops selling flowers, jewelry, antiques and novelties
  • Toy stores
  • Music stores
  • Art galleries
  • Firearms and ammunition stores
Continue reading below ↓

These businesses can operate using a skeleton force

  • Hotel and accommodation establishments
  • Mall-based government frontline services
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