MANILA, Philippines — The government will suspend the business permits and revoke the “safety seals” of establishments not complying with minimum public health standards, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) warned on Wednesday.
DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said the agency had been receiving many complaints mostly about businesses exceeding the limit on operating capacity (50 percent for indoors and 70 percent for outdoors), and disregarding the rule that only fully vaccinated individuals can go inside.
Malaya added that many restaurants and shops were also not checking the vaccination status of their customers.
He said the government would revoke their safety seals and thus deprive them of the additional 10-percent operating capacity.
For repeat offenders, he said, the DILG would recommend the revocation of their business permits issued by the host local government units (LGUs).
Vigilance
Malaya called on LGUs and the police to inspect more establishments to ensure compliance, urging local officials to issue show-cause orders if necessary.
He said people going to shopping malls must already be screened at the entrances to check if they were heading for shops inside that required customers to be vaccinated.
Persons who could not produce proof of vaccination should already be denied entry if they intend to dine at a restaurant within the mall.
The DILG urged the public to report erring business establishments through its public assistance hotlines 89250343, 89251144, 09274226300 and 09313849272.
Earlier, Taguig City government issued a warning to businesses, especially bars and restaurants located at Bonifacio Global City, over their lax enforcement of health protocols.
Taguig Mayor Lino Cayetano said City Hall would check all closed-circuit television footage, customer logs of vaccine cards, social media posts and reports from concerned citizens to determine the liability of erring establishments or property owners.
Rules on minors
On the entry of minors to malls and similar establishments in the National Capital Region, Malaya said Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Benhur Abalos told him that a technical working group was already drafting the rules for the mayors’ review.
He said some Metro Manila LGUs had already issued their own pertinent regulations. In Parañaque City, for example, the mayor has mandated that minors age 12 to 17 can enter a mall only if accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult.
Malaya also clarified that the use of face shields would be based solely on the prevailing alert level.
For areas under alert level 5, face shields are still required, while for those under levels 1, 2 and 3 it is voluntary in any setting. For level 4 areas, it’s up to the LGU or an establishment to require face shields.