Indoor dine-in restaurants and personal services are allowed to reopen at limited capacities in areas under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) starting today, May 1.
Memorandum Circular No. 21-15 series of 2021 on Additional Business Establishments, Persons or Activities Allowed to Operate in areas placed under MECQ provides that indoor dine-in services of food preparation establishments, such as commissaries, restaurants, and eateries, can now operate at an initial venue or seating capacity of 10 percent.
The MC issued Friday night by Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez also allows beauty salons, beauty parlors, barbershops, and nail spas, at an initial venue or seating capacity of 30 percent, provided that they shall only provide services that can accommodate the wearing of face masks at all times by the patrons/clients and service providers.
The reopening of these sectors albeit at very limited capacities is meant to restore more jobs in labor-intensive industries, ease the economic burden of displaced workers and address the growing number of joblessness, poverty, and hunger incidence, without compromising the safety and fight against COVID-19.
Lopez said the indoor dine-in restaurant services alone employ 2 million workers and about half them are still out of work because only dine-out or al-fresco and delivery services were allowed during the past two weeks of MECQ. The personal services sector also employs 400,000 workers in the National Capital Region Plus bubble alone. In total, Lopez said that one million workers could not yet return to work during this MECQ period.
The initial reopening of these two sectors also came after consultation with all stakeholders and the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) Resolution No. 113 on April 29, 2021. The IATF Resolution even stated that said “establishments may further operate beyond the limitation prescribed, provided that they comply with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)- Department of Health (DOH)-Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Department of Tourism (DOT)-DTI Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 21-01, Series of 2021 or the Implementing Guidelines of the Safety Seal Certification Program.”
But the DTI circular said that the initial capacity prescribed may be increased only upon the business establishment’s certification under the Safety Seal Certification Program under JMC No. 21-01, Series 2021.
The DTI, through the Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau and Regional or Provincial Offices, shall continue its strict compliance monitoring through its post-audit mechanism. Inspection by the DOLE, DOH, and the local government unit’s Health Office may also be conducted at any time.
Violations of the circular shall be subject to corresponding penalties under relevant rules and guidelines including the temporary suspension of business operations as may be necessary and applicable.
Sectors not allowed to operate under MECQ are indoor visitor or tourist attractions, libraries, archives, museums, galleries, and cultural shows, and exhibits; outdoor tourist attractions; meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions; other personal care services such as make-up salons, aesthetics, wellness and holistic centers, tattooing, and home services for these activities; limited social events at accredited Department of Tourism establishments; cinemas; amusement parks or theme parks; casinos, horse racing, lottery and betting shops and other gaming establishments; recreational venues such as internet cafes, billiard halls, amusement arcades, bowling alleys, and similar venues; traditional cockfighting and operation of cockpits; entertainment venues such as karaoke bars, clubs, concert halls, and theaters; and, fairs/peryas, kid amusement industries such as playgrounds and kiddie rides.