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Tasty and COVID-free: Food businesses try to soothe virus fears

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Jessica Fenol, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/06/01/beard2.jpg"/><figcaption>A safety certification comes with cream puff deliveries from Japanese chain Beard Papa&#x27;s Makati City branch to ease consumers&#x27; worries over COVID-19. ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA -- Restaurateur Edward Bugia gave his chef&#x27;s toque a rest as he prepared to restart his food business, packing meals in the most hygienic way possible to soothe customers&#x27; worries over the coronavirus.Like many small businesses shuttered for over 2 months by one of the world&#x27;s longest lockdowns, Bugia is on survival mode and Metro Manila&#x27;s shift on Monday to a general community quarantine or GCQ affords him a restart, albeit with new rules.&quot;Right now, kahit mabigat sa bulsa namin, we&#x27;ve all been looking into investing on cleanliness, how to kill bacteria, virus, the germs. Naging scientist kami bigla,&quot; Bugia told ABS-CBN News.(Right now, even at additional cost, we&#x27;ve all been looking into investing on cleanliness, how to kill bacteria, virus, the germs. Suddenly, we&#x27;re scientists.)&quot;We have to be prepared but we can&#x27;t be optimistic na okay na normal na ulit (okay, things are normal again) because it&#x27;s not normal,&quot; he said.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/06/01/baclaran.jpg"/><figcaption>Streetsweepers rest near a fastfood restaurant that has been temporarily closed as authorities enforce the lockdown of 10 major streets of Baclaran in Parañaque City on May 21, 2020. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</figcaption></figure></div>Japanese cream puff chain Beard Papa resumed deliveries and orders in sealed boxes with a &quot;safety certification&quot; stating that those who prepared it wore personal protective equipment.&quot;It&#x27;s very irresponsible for any business now to think that I can still make a profit. Right now, everyone is on survival mode,&quot; Bugia said.&quot;We will thrive, we believe we will thrive in a way pero hindi na capitalist sense na dahil may pera ako, magtatayo pa ako ng limang branch (but not in a capitalist sense that if I have money I will open new branches). We have to be on survival mode,&quot; he added.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/05/06/20/through-the-fire-with-pandemic-businessmen-in-philippines-brace-for-recession">Through the fire with pandemic, businessmen in Philippines brace for recession</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/05/29/20/gcq-vs-mgcq-how-different-are-the-relaxed-community-quarantines">GCQ vs MGCQ: How different are the relaxed community quarantines?</a></li></ul>Lifting stringent measures does not mean people will dine in their restaurants, Bugia said, adding he had been operating &quot;at a loss&quot; for the past few months. Operators should not be complacent, he said.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/05/23/20/dti-studying-reopening-of-resto-dine-in-operations-barbershops-salons-lopez">DTI studying reopening of resto dine-in operations, barbershops, salons - Lopez</a></li></ul>Without a vaccine, Bugia, who operates and manages several restaurant brands under Pino Group of Concepts and MFT Group of Companies, said businesses could go back to pre-COVID levels by early next year.Bugia believes the food industry is one of the most equipped to deal with the pandemic.&quot;Since day 1, we&#x27;ve been trained to be hygienic, to be clean since there is food. We have an extra responsibility now,&quot; he added.

Food entrepreneurs in the Philippines are on survival mode and Metro Manila's shift to a general community quarantine or GCQ affords them a restart, albeit with new safety rules.

Food entrepreneurs in the Philippines are on survival mode and Metro Manila's shift to a general community quarantine or GCQ affords them a restart, albeit with new safety rules.

Tasty and COVID-free: Food businesses try to soothe virus fears

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Tasty and COVID-free: Food businesses try to soothe virus fears

Jessica Fenol,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 01, 2020 06:14 AM PHT

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