Metro Manila mayors: 24/7 ops only for food delivery, not restaurant dine-in

Food delivery workers continue to provide service despite the community quarantine declared by the Philippine government during the COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown in Manila on March 20, 2020. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila mayors only approved 24-hour operation of food delivery services in the region and not dine-in in restaurants, Metro Manila Council (MMC) Chairman and  Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez clarified on Monday.

“Ang ating paguusap po ng MMC natin kasama ang members ng IATF [Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases], ‘yun pong 24 hours, ‘yun pong for delivery. Pero po ‘yung dine-in hindi pa po 24 hours,” Olivarez said in an interview over Teleradyo.

(The MMC and IATF only approved 24-hour operations for food delivery, not for dine-in services in restaurants.)

This is in contrast to the latest memorandum of the Department of Trade and Industry which allows both dine-in and delivery services to operate up to 24 hours a day in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ).

Metro Manila is under GCQ for the entire month of October.

“Restaurants and fast food establishments’ dine-in, take-out, and delivery services shall be allowed to operate up to 24 hours a day, as far as practicable, to augment the additional operational requirements and serve the needs of the public, while enhancing income opportunities for workers,” the DTI memorandum dated Oct. 2 read.

Olivarez said they will verify the matter before the IATF.

“‘Yan po ay aming ive-verify sa IATF pero yung huli po na consensus namin, ‘yun lang pong delivery ang 24 hours,” he said.

(We will verify this to the IATF but our last consensus was only the delivery services are allowed to operate for up to 24 hours.)

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