MANILA, Philippines — Some 200,000 to 300,000 displaced workers in Metro Manila and four adjacent provinces were able to return to their jobs after the shift to a looser general community quarantine (GCQ) “with heightened restrictions” over the said areas, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said Monday.
Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, and Bulacan, or the so-called “NCR Plus bubble”, which was previously under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), has been placed under GCQ starting May 15 until May 30.
“Ang palagay ng DTI, mga 200,000 to 300,000 na mga empleyado ang muling nakabalik dahil dito sa declaration ng heightened restrictions under GCQ,” DTI Undersecretary Ireneo Vizmonte said in a Laging Handa public briefing.
The bulk of these workers came from indoor dining restaurants, which can now operate at 20% capacity under GCQ, as well as businesses under personal health services, Vizmonte said.
DTI earlier said about one million workers remained jobless under the implementation of MECQ. The 700,000 workers who will remain displaced under GCQ are from “high-risk industries,” he added.
“Inaasahan natin na kapag nagluwag ang GCQ to regular na GCQ, marami pong muli ang makakabalik sa trabaho,” he said.
(We expect that if the GCQ will further ease up, many more will go back to work.)
Among the economic activities allowed under the new quarantine are indoor dine-in services at 20% venue or seating capacity, outdoor or al fresco dining at 50% venue or seating capacity, and outdoor tourism.
Movement, however, is limited to essential travel, and that public transportation will remain operational.