NOW that Bacolod City already slid to Alert Level 2 in terms of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) transmission, the possibility of lifting the partial liquor ban is now being discussed by the local government and business sector.
Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) Chief Executive Officer Frank Carbon said that Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, head of the local Inter-Agency Task Force, assured them that he will bring up the matter to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
Currently, the new Executive Order (EO) of Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia states that the selling of liquor is only from 12 noon until 10 p.m. although the consumption should be done in private.
Carbon also lauded the decision of the City Government to shorten the curfew as this would mean more business hours, which he said, will be good for the economy.
The city's curfew is now at 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.
"It's a welcome development," he said, adding that, "shortened curfew means there will be more business hours that would result in an increase in sales and job generation."
As to the order of the national government requiring on-site workers to get inoculated, Carbon said they are now coordinating with their member-companies if how many of their employees are yet to be inoculated.
Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque earlier said that employees who remain to be unvaccinated may not be terminated but they shall be required to undergo regular reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, or antigen tests, at their own expense.
Carbon said they are coordinating with Dr. Chris Sorongon, deputy for medical and data analysis of EOC, for on-site vaccination among their member-companies and other establishments in the city.
In that way, he said, the employees no longer need to go out from their workplace.