Trader sees hard, sad Christmas for Pinoys

A BUSINESS leader in Pampanga said many Filipinos will experience a sad and hard Christmas because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rene Romero, president of the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PamCham), said many Filipinos lost their jobs because some businesses had to close down for failing to sustain daily operations.

Businesses, including small and medium-scale ones, that created jobs were badly affected by the worldwide health problem, according to the PamCham head.

"Marami ang mga malilit na negosyo ang hindi na nagbukas simula nung lockdown," he added.

Several businesses in Pampanga have not yet resumed operations because of health protocols needed to be implemented, Romero said.

Some establishments that restarted have decided to close their shops again because of the increasing cases of Covid-19, he added.

"Marami pang nahihirapan, marami pang gustong mag restart pero hindi sila makapag restart. Yung iba nag restart sila but dahil nakita nila ay tatagal pa itong virus na ito, bumalik sila at nagsara ulit," Romero said.

The capital of many entrepreneurs were depleted because of the pandemic, according to Romero.

He appealed to the government to support entrepreneurs, especially the micro, small and medium scale entrepreneurs, which will create employment for people displaced by the pandemic.

"Naghihintay pa rin kami ng ayuda mula sa gobyerno," Romero said.

Aside from infrastructure, the national government should also focus on economy and health especially during this time of pandemic, he added.

"Kailangan dagdagan ang pondo para magpagawa ng maraming health care facilities. Pagkatapos, on the side of the economy naman, dapat tulungan niya yung mga negosyante lalo na yung mga malilit," Romero said.