Palace: Travel agencies in GCQ areas OK to reopen; other personal care services to follow

MANILA, Philippines — Travel agencies in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) have been allowed to resume operations by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), Malacañang announced Friday.

Travel agencies, however, are limited to the use of a skeleton workforce once they reopen to the public, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

“Now, naapruban din po yung request ng travel agencies na magbukas dahil marami nga pong humihingi ng mga refunds. Pero ang desisyon po, dapat skeleton force lang po,” Roque said in a televised briefing.

(The request of travel agencies to reopen has been approved since many of their customers are asking for refunds. But the decision is that they should only have a skeleton workforce.)

Travel agencies, alongside other amusement and fitness establishments, are under the IATF’s Category 4 list of industries.

According to the IATF’s omnibus guidelines, these industries may not operate in GCQ areas.

Roque added that the IATF has also removed the clause that limits the services provided by barbershops and hair salons to just basic haircutting services.

“Maglalabas pa po muna ang DTI [Department of Trade and Industry] ng guidelines para sa unti unting pagbalik ng serbisyo na binibigay ng mga ganitong establisimyento na pinapayagan [with] minimum public health standards,” Roque said.

(The DTI will release guidelines for the gradual return of other services given by these kinds of establishments that are allowed with minimum public health standards.)

“Yung mga pedicure, manicure, antayin na muna ang mga guidelines bagamat in principle papayagan po yan, antayin lang po natin ang guidelines ng DTI,” he added.

(When it comes to pedicure and manicure, let’s wait for the guidelines, but in principle, these will be allowed, let’s just wait for DTI’s guidelines.)

/MUF