Cinemas need to be opened with safety features in place — Parañaque mayor

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila Council chairman and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez on Monday said that he wanted cinemas to be opened with safety features in place.

“Hindi lang po ‘yung ating cinema operator ang naapektuhan dito pati po ‘yun pong mga filmmaker, ‘yun pong mga nagta-trabaho connected dito, mahigit 400,000 people are affected dito sa ating pandemic na ito dito sa cinema na ito,” Olivarez said on Teleradyo.

(Not only our cinema operators are affected, but also filmmakers and those whose work is connected to this. More than 400,000 people have been affected during the pandemic in the cinema industry.)

“So, kailangan na rin po natin buksan pero kailangan lang po mailatag po natin ‘yung ating safety features at ‘yung guidelines para ipatupad po natin ng ating local government unit,” he added.

(So, we need to open it but we need safety features and guidelines for our local government unit to implement it.)

Olivarez also noted that no cinemas are open in Parañaque yet, and they are discussing measures prior to the opening.

“Mayroon pa hong mga apprehension ang mga tao tungkol sa sinehan,” the mayor said.

(There are apprehensions on the opening of cinemas.)

“Kasi kaya pinag-aaralan po namin ‘yung ventilation. ‘Yung atin pong mga senior citizen baka dumagsa d’on sa atin pong libreng pa-sine. So, ‘yan po ay pinag-uusapan. Pero, right now, hindi pa ho bukas ang cinema dito po sa Parañaque,” he went on.

(That’s why we are going to study ventilation. Our senior citizens may go to our free movies. We are discussing that. But, right now, cinemas are not open yet in Parañaque.)

Cinemas were among the establishments that were allowed to operate as Metro Manila downgraded to Alert Level 3.

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