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Supermarkets, small businesses cheer Marcos vow to avoid lockdowns

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Warren de Guzman, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="People line up at a grocery in Quezon City on August 5, 2021, a day before Metro Manila is placed under enhanced community quarantine. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News " src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/07/26/20210805-covid-ecq-grocery-rush-md-01-8.jpg"/><figcaption>People line up at a grocery in Quezon City on August 5, 2021, a day before Metro Manila is placed under enhanced community quarantine. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News </em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - Grocery retailers and small business owners on Tuesday said they welcome President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s promise to avoid lockdowns in the face of rising COVID-19 cases. </p><p>The Philippine Franchise Association and the Philippine Amalgamated Supermarket Association said another lockdown will likely be the nail in the coffin for many businesses struggling with higher operating costs and inflation. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/25/22/no-more-covid-lockdowns-vows-marcos-in-sona">Marcos vows no more COVID lockdowns; to build vaccine institute</a></li></ul><p>Steven Cua, President of the Philippine Amalgamated Supermarket Association (PAGASA) Inc said he shares Marcos’ assessment that the Philippines cannot afford another hard lockdown with the current economic conditions. </p><p>&quot;[The] cost of operations have gone up, so this is eating into the bottom line. Inflation eating into sales...so it&#x27;s double trouble for us, Cua said”</p><p>Ma. Alegria “Bing” Limjoco, Director of the Philippine Franchise Association, said her franchise consulting firm Francorp was able to weather the pandemic and rising inflation, but other MSMEs were not so lucky.</p><p>“Our members and clients have started recovering this year and we hope and pray that we will achieve 2019 sales,” she said. </p><p>Limjoco, who is also former President of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said during the pandemic lockdowns, her firm even had to help clients even if they could not pay. </p><p>“The &#x27;no lockdowns’ promise is an answer to our prayers,&quot; she said.</p><p>Cua said the food retail industry remains a face-to-face business even as online sales rise. </p><p>“Physical shopping induces sales as customers&#x27; senses are heightened. The olfactory sense (of smell) is absent for online shoppers while most enjoy the supermarkets as a social and festive venue,” Cua said. </p><p>He said he agrees with the President’s decision to focus on vaccination to keep COVID-19 in check.</p><p>&quot;I agree that the correct move is to push for vaccination and booster shots especially since some vaccines in the country are about to expire,” he said. </p><p>Supermarket owners are keeping their workforce up to date with booster shots, and have only seen minor COVID cases amongst the vaccinated, Cua said. </p><p>&quot;Member-stores of PAGASA have been well-advised to have their employees vaxx-ed and boostered. They have also been told to encourage their customers to get their shots while these shots are available, free-of-charge and free-from-queues,” Cua said.</p><p>“We definitely agree with the focus on booster shots,” Limjoco said on Marcos’ SONA.</p><p>Go Negosyo of former Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion, and the Management Association of the Philippines also welcomed Marcos’ ‘no lockdown’ promise.</p><p>“This is what the private sector and MSMEs need as it will allow for full recovery from the pandemic,” Concepcion said. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/20/22/23-million-covid-booster-shots-eyed-in-marcos-first-100-days">23 million COVID booster shots eyed in Marcos&#x27; first 100 days: health dept</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/07/25/22/marcos-vows-to-finish-ongoing-infrastructure-projects">Marcos vows to finish ongoing infrastructure projects, including Mindanao railway</a></li></ul><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2141059" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Supermarkets and small business owners on Tuesday said they welcome President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s promise to avoid lockdowns. 

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Supermarkets, small businesses cheer Marcos vow to avoid lockdowns

Warren de Guzman,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 26, 2022 02:38 PM PHT

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