Palace, DTI stand firm on cinema reopening

MANILA, Philippines — Today’s reopening of cinemas at 50 percent capacity in general community quarantine (GCQ) areas, including Metro Manila, was defended by Malacañang, with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) also saying the move revives an industry with 300,000 jobs.

“This was reviewed by experts in TWG of IATF with DOH, DOLE, DTI, DOT, DILG, DOF and extra safety protocols required such as ventilation,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said yesterday in a Viber message to reporters.

He was referring to the technical working group of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases together with the Departments of Health, Labor and Employment, Tourism, Interior and Local Government as well as Finance.

Lopez said cinemas in GCQ areas would be allowed to reopen at 50-percent capacity. He said those in modified GCQ, which have already been open at 50-percent capacity, would be allowed to operate at 75 percent.

But the move has worried mayors in Metro Manila, who cited the risk of spreading the virus in enclosed spaces. They also said they were not properly consulted on the directive.

Metro Manila Council chairman and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez said they intend to seek an appeal of the IATF decision to reopen cinemas in GCQ areas.

Malacañang said the IATF’s decision is part of reopening of the economy and that it comes at a time when Filipinos are already familiar with safety protocols.

“The President understands (the decision to ease restrictions) because he has been thinking about how we can recover,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque told radio station dzBB last Friday.

Roque said the Philippines is seen to be among the slowest to recover from the effects of the pandemic because of prolonged lockdowns. “In GCQ areas, only about 50 percent of industries are open. In MGCQ (modified general community quarantine), it’s 75 percent so it’s about time (to further open the economy) because Filipinos have developed the discipline and they know that in order to work, they should heed the call of the President to wear masks, wash their hands, and observe physical distancing,” he said.

Lopez said the decision allows more individuals to regain their livelihood. He stressed that there are around 300,000 jobs that rely on the film production industry which has the size of around P13 billion prior to the pandemic. He said the industry shrunk to P1.3 billion last year as it weathered the pandemic. Apart from traditional cinemas, the IATF also approved the reopening of other businesses in GCQ such as driving schools, and video and interactive-game centers, libraries, archives, museums and cultural centers, meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, and limited social events of establishments accredited by the DOT.

Aside from Metro Manila, other areas under GCQ until the end of the month are Batangas, Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Baguio City, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Tacloban City, Davao City, Iligan City, Davao del Norte and Lanao del Sur. The rest of the country is now under modified GCQ or the most relaxed quarantine level.