Iginiit ni Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez na kinakailangan nang magbukas ng mas maraming negosyo sa mga lugar na nasa ilalim ng general community quarantine (GCQ) o modified GCQ at payagang makapag-operate sa kanilang 100% kapasidad.
Sa pagdinig ng Senate Finance Committee sa proposed budget ng Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) para sa susunod na taon, sinabi ni Lopez na ito raw ay para ibangon ang ekonomiya ng bansa mula sa epekto ng COVID-19 pandemic.
“Since this pandemic started, what we have been pushing for is that, as much as possible, we can keep the same enforcement, we can keep the minimum health standard, but please, after six months, we should reopen already the remaining sectors. That’s my appeal,” wika ni Lopez.
Bagama’t inamin ni Lopez na posibleng almahan ng mga health workers ang kanyang apela, inihayag nito na sinisikap ng kagawaran na magarantiya ang pagpapatupad ng mahigpit na health protocols upang mapigilan ang pagkalat ng coronavirus.
“I believe we can safely reopen it. It’s been six months and the virus will not go away,” anang kalihim.
Aniya, kahit nasa ilalim man ng GCQ o MGCQ ang Metro Manila ay dapat magbukas pa rin ng mas maraming negosyo.
“We are appealing. It may not be MGCQ, though the numbers and statistics are improving. But we will be happy with the GCQ provided we open up more of these sectors,” ani Lopez.
