FITNESS gyms have pivoted to the new normal as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) encouraged them to waive royalty and membership fees during the period they were not allowed to operate due to the Covid-19 lockdowns.
Memorandum Circular 20-59 stated that franchisors of micro, small and medium gyms and fitness centers and sports facilities franchisees are encouraged to waive royalty fees, including any penalties and/or charges, during the period the establishments were not allowed to operate.
Advance membership fee payments may be applied to the succeeding months upon the resumption of the establishment’s operations.
DTI said members shall be allowed continued use and enjoyment of their membership and shall not be denied access or use of gyms/fitness centers and sports facilities based only on late payment or non-payment of membership fees accrued during the closure of the gyms/fitness centers and sports facilities.
Theresa Conson of ActiveHub, in an interview, said they have been using one-time cash payments as well as electronic payment options such as PayMaya and GCash.
“What we did on their gym membership is we really waived (this) during the lockdown. But when we opened, we had a trial run and resumed the membership which the students went back to,” she said.
“We are on cash basis. It’s a blessing in disguise. We really waived their fees even though the rental for the gym space wasn’t waived. It is a negative on us, but we really value the loyalty of our students,” she said.
As of now, Conson said they are offering promos to further encourage people to go back to working out since the longer lockdowns have prevented people from achieving their fitness goals. (JOB)