MANILA – Private companies and businesses that do not render essential businesses but still do operate during the Luzon-wide “enhanced community quarantine” will be closed, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said.
DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said in a television interview that private firms were told to suspend their operations and not allow their employees to go to work anymore.
“‘Wag na pong papasukin ang ating mga empleyado dahil kapag nag-ikot ang ating kapulisan nakitang nakabukas, we will force close those businesses,” Malaya said in an interview with CNN Philippines.
“Maliban na lang po if they are critical government structure, if they are pharmacies, if they are banks, hospitals, clinics, anything related to medical and food production and processing. Kapag restaurant, sarado po iyan,” he added.
“Let me clarify, ‘yung essential workforce po ay part lang sa gobyerno iyan and not all government officers. Only the responders, the disaster, emergency units can do skeletal force. Everybody else, we should go home,” he further said.
Malaya also clarified that business process outsourcing firms may only be exempted if lodging will be provided to their employees.
“‘Yung BPOs, they are only exempted if they can provide lodging in their companies, iyan lang ang exemption. It is now up to the BPO industry to make the necessary arrangements para hindi na bumyahe ‘yung kanilang mga empleyado. We will allow them to operate so long as their employees are in one place only and may social distancing na ini-implement sa workplace,” he said.
President Rodrigo Duterte has placed the entire Luzon under the enhanced community quarantine in an aim to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019./PN
