Retail sector loses potential sales due to tsunami scare

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu businesses reported revenue losses the other day when the tsunami alert issued by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) caused panic in Cebu City.

With the chaos that happened, the business community is calling the attention of the concerned authorities both the local government units (LGUs) and the national government to create a proper and central information command center in order to properly dissiminate correct information in case of calamity warnings to prevent any untoward incidents.

Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) president Eric Ng Mendoza said although the business disruption across industries in Cebu was just temporary and only affected half-day of the operation, still “business was disrupted.”

“We suggest that there should be a proper information dissimition. In the case of Tsunami warnings, it should be explained well to the people so as not to create panic. Tsunami is new for Cebuanos, unlike typhoons. Most people do not know the extent of the Tsunami level 2 alert,” said Mendoza.

Businesses, shopping malls, schools, and other establishments stopped their operations, and closed shops immediately after Cebuanos reacted to the Phivolcs tsunami warning following the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu and Negros Oriental last Monday, at exactly 11:40 in the morning.

“We should learn from what happened on Monday. People panicked, fearful and confused. They did not know what to do,” he added.

Likewise, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) president Samuel Chioson urged the government, specifically the City Government to set up effective information dissimination center.

“City government should be the lead agency to verify, inform the public with strong coordination through media. PIO [public information office] should declare the status or situation on any crisis,” Chioson said.

Moreover, Chioson urged the coordination of the public to refrain from texting not until “we verify reports .” The government, he added should make sanctions on those person who were responsible for the wrong information, even if it was meant to be a “joke”.

Philippine Retail Association (PRA-Cebu) chairperson Melanie Ng likewise said that the scare has definitely affected the retail sector in Cebu.

“Undeniably, business was affected on Monday afternoon. But it has made us aware that each company needs to set up disaster and risk contingency plan to protect our personnel and their families and also secure and protect store premises. So that next time an emergency like this happens, we will be better informed and better prepared,” Ng said.

Retailer Jay P. Aldeguer said that businesses especially retail was temporarily crippled on Monday afternoon because of the “false alarm” or the tsunami scare.

“We had to close our stores [Islands Square, Island Souvenirs, among others] mainly due to panic,” Aldeguer said.

“The newly opened Sinulog Square had to close at 1pm because of the tension in the area. The mall-based stores however abided by the mall’s early closing,” Aldeguer said.

Mendoza added that people especially Cebuanos should be well educated in every calamity preparation, specifically tsunami.

Chioson also said that as businesses, specifically retail establishments, had to close early, it affected half-day potential sales, revenues had been lost due to the tsunami scare.

CCCI past president Robert Go, who also owns a chain of department stores in the Visayas, the Prince Warehouse Club, said that the scare has crippled the retail sector.

“The tsunami panic left retail crippled, all 86 employees and cashier left without turnovers, and just rushed out. No one was left,” Go related what happened on one of his Prince Warehouse Club stores in Cebu.

“The government should be responsible enough to release any warning, making sure that it is properly explained to the public,” Go said. (FREEMAN)