THE business community in Cebu is asking the government to provide more financial support to the workers of businesses affected as well as to the ailing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) disrupted by the ongoing enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Cebu City during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cebu City continues to be under lockdown, unlike other trade cities in the world that are now reopening their economy as they try to recover from the pandemic.
The groups said in a joint statement: “We are calling for the government to now help alleviate the condition of our MSMEs and the distressed workers of our companies during this ECQ period in Cebu City through another round of financial assistance. On behalf of the business community, we are requesting the national government to mobilize and provide financial assistance to the workers, MSMEs and non-essential sector displaced by the ECQ from June 15 to present.”
“We also underscore the need to include packages to benefit not only the micro, small but also the medium and large enterprises that are not spared from the losses brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic especially on those industries not considered essential under the IATF guidelines such as those in the hospitality and tourism sector, services including professional and membership organizations and some industries,” the community added.
Representing the business community are the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Cebu Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Mepzcem Chamber Inc. and the Philippine Retailers Association Cebu Chapter and the Hotels, Resorts and Restaurants Association of Cebu.
The business groups stressed that the reclassification of Cebu City to ECQ since June 15 has once again dampened the business confidence of the already bruised business community especially the MSMEs.
They said: “Businesses that were allowed to reopen during our brief general community quarantine status are now forced to close again because of the rising cases, with losses building daily. While the business sector very much understands and agree that public health comes first during this pandemic, this continued ECQ in Cebu City has left us with no choice but to either let go or keep employees in various modes of flexible arrangements as we close business operations either temporarily or permanently.”
The groups explained that the Department of Labor and Employment’s Covid-19 Adjustment Measures Program on April 15, which benefitted only 16 percent of the total affected workers in the tri-cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, and the Social Security System’s Small Business Wage Subsidy (SBWS) program which had covered the wage subsidy of a portion of the affected employees of small businesses, were for the months of April and May only.
“With Cebu City having spent so long in ECQ, the aforementioned programs are simply not enough to give our displaced workers, entrepreneurs and business owners economic relief, most especially those who have not received any assistance whatsoever,” the groups said.
The groups said that their workers too, play a vital role in the economy and that MSMEs have been the backbone of the Philippine economy.
“Our business community in the non-essential but productive sectors deserves better treatment from the very government to whom they have religiously remitted substantial taxes,” they said. (JOB)