According to a Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) official, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has authorized needing Safety Seals to acquire business permits.
DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said the agency would issue a memorandum circular to local government units (LGUs) about the topic during the Laging Handa public briefing.
“That’s correct. That has been approved during the IATF [meeting] that we will issue a memorandum circular to all our LGUs to require Safety Seals in specific identified industries lalo na ‘yung mga negosyo na closed door (especially closed door businesses),” Densing said.
He noted that the DILG is already working on the memorandum circular.
So far, according to him, only 6% of enterprises in the country have received Safety Seals.
Previously, LGUs were tasked with inspecting and awarding Safety Seals to private establishments such as malls, wet markets, other retail stores, restaurants outside hotels and resorts, fast food stores, eateries, coffee shops, banks, money changers, pawnshops, remittance centers, car wash, laundry service centers, art galleries, libraries, museums, zoos, sports centers, tutorial, testing, and review centers, gyms, spas, cinemas, and The Safety Seal certifies that an institution follows COVID-19 health protocols.
Establishments need Safety Seals to get permits – DILG
Except for those awarded to tourism firms, which are valid for one year, the Safety Seal is valid for six months from the date of issuance.
According to the DILG, it will also be renewable if the standards are met on a regular basis.
Last year, DILG Secretary Eduardo Ao stated the safety seal could be obtained at “no cost” to the business.
The Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 21 series of 2021 governs the program. The government’s implementing agencies signed it.
In the past week, more than 3,000 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded by the Department of Health (DOH) or more than 500 average cases per day.
In a report Monday by the department, DOH said the Philippines recorded 3,572 new cases of COVID-19 from March 14 to 20, down 13 percent compared to the previous week.
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