Maintain curfew hours, biz groups ask mayor

By Dolly Yasa

 

BACOLOD City – The business community here asked Mayor Evelio Leonardia to reconsider the curfew hours in the city to help keep the economy afloat.

In an Aug. 3, 2020 letter addressed to Leonardia, the five business groups in Negros Occidental appealed to the mayor to maintain the current curfew hours, which is from 10 pm to 4 am.

In his recent executive order extending the Modified General Community Quarantine in the city, Leonardia set the new curfew hours from 8 pm to 4 am.

The business groups said they have yet to regain their footing from the negative impact of the economic downturn due to the necessary quarantine measures imposed earlier this year to stop the spread of COVID-19.

They further said that the additional five-hour window to open businesses after regular working hours not only allows the people of Bacolod access to goods and services but is also crucial to keeping the local economy afloat.

“The 8 pm curfew can mean reduced business hours and 40 percent less revenue that may lead to more businesses closing, increased joblessness, more people falling deeper into poverty and its knock-on effects on peace and order.”

The groups said that the Bacolod business community commits to cooperate with the more stringent implementation of the minimum health standards, instead of decreasing the business hours.

They are also in full agreement that quarantine measures are necessary to stop transmission in its tracks “but the specific measures to be taken should consider the balance between slowing down the rate of infection and its impact on the economy.”

Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) executive officer Frank Carbon agreed with Leonardia’s move.

“We believe it is based on the city’s IATF (interagency task force) recommendations to prioritize saving lives rather than preserving jobs at this point of time when there is a spike in local transmission… and we subscribe to his decision… we submit that saving lives is paramount.”

Copies of the letter were also furnished to Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, Councilor Archie Baribar, and the news outlets.

The letter was signed by Edgar Sy, president of Bacolod Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.; William Ong, president of Northern Negros Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.; Henry Uy, chairman of Negros Occidental Filipino-Chinese Amity Club Inc.; Alfonso Cu, president of Southern Negros Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.; and Roberto Montelibano, president of Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry.