Biz leaders appeal for functional measures

While the business sector in Cebu welcomes the government's decision to impose an enhanced community quarantine, business leaders appealed for a balanced implementation so as not to further cripple the economy.

“The business sector agrees with the need to contain the spread of the virus (COVID-19), however, we should also learn from the missteps of Luzon. It will be a delicate balancing act between containment (flattening the curve), and sustaining the local economy (feeding 4 million people and preventing social unrest),” said Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) president Steven Yu after Cebu Provincial Governor Gwendolyn Garcia issued a new executive order outing the entire Cebu province under enhanced community quarantine.

Yu explained that the production and delivery of essential goods and services has to be unhampered.

“We also need to make sure that the raw materials for such manufacturing plants are readily available and not inhibited by other factors. In other words, scarcity of basic needs should be avoided.”

Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs) in Cebu, which employs close to 200 thousand workers should be allowed to continue operating.

In Mandaue, Yu said the chamber is working very closely with the local government unit (LGU) led by Mayor Jonas Cortes in carefully crafting the provisions of the enhanced community quarantine, so as to create balanced measures.

“We have a very responsive and dynamic LGU leaders led by Mayor Jonas Cortes,” he said.

MCCI past president Philip

Tan echoed the same views on balanced implementation as the top priority, saying industries should be regulated.

“We need to regulate industries that support the economy. Like catering the needs of the power plants, and if we're [industries] closed, the plants may be compromised,” added Tan.

Overall, the business leaders committed on working out a unique approach stressing this is all ‘for the love of Cebu.'