90,000 businesses remain closed due to COVID-19 pandemic

Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/business/05/06/20200429-covid-closed-businesses-jc-3392.jpg"/><figcaption>Quezon City businesses remain closed during the Coronavirus Quarantine on April 29,2020. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA - Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez on Monday said at least 90,000 businesses in the Philippines remain closed half a year after the country imposed a lockdown in the capital region and several provinces to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Between August and September, 6 percent of the 1.4 million micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country remain closed, Lopez told senators during the Department of Trade and Industry&#x27;s budget hearing in the Senate.&quot;Six percent is a big number because that should be zero,&quot; he said.&quot;It&#x27;s true that it&#x27;s still not a rosy picture pagdating sa (when it comes to) business confidence and unemployment,&quot; he said.Despite having the longest COVID-19 lockdown in the world, the Philippines remains to be the epicenter of the global pandemic in Southeast Asia.The months-long lockdown has led to the downsizing of several job-generating industries like construction, retail, tourism, and aviation.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/multimedia/infographic/07/23/20/billions-in-govt-loans-millions-go-jobless-covid-19s-disastrous-impact-on-the-philippines">READ: Billions in gov&#x27;t loans, millions go jobless: COVID-19&#x27;s disastrous impact on the Philippines</a></li></ul>The DTI chief appealed to lawmakers to help him push for the full reopening of several sectors - like the film industry - which were allowed to operate under limited capacity.&quot;I am not against the lockdown. It helped us reduce the statistics [of COVID-19]... My only hope is hindi na natin dapat patagalin pa (we should no longer prolong it),&quot; Lopez said.&quot;I understand it is not a popular appeal especially to health workers but if we keep enforcement still strict... I believe we can safely reopen,&quot; he said.About 99 percent of all businesses in the Philippines are classified as micro, small and medium entities, according to data from the DTI.These small businesses heavily affected by the COVID-19 lockdown employ 65 percent of workers in the country, Senate Ways and Means chair Pia Cayetano said in plenary.&quot;If we reopen more, allow more workers to come in, we can bring back jobs and income that will stimulate economy,&quot; Lopez said.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez on Monday said at least 90,000 businesses in the Philippines remain closed half a year after the country imposed a lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in its most populous island, Luzon.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez on Monday said at least 90,000 businesses in the Philippines remain closed half a year after the country imposed a lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in its most populous island, Luzon.

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90,000 businesses remain closed due to COVID-19 pandemic

90,000 businesses remain closed due to COVID-19 pandemic

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 28, 2020 06:07 PM PHT

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Ramon Lopez

DTI

COVID-19

global pandemic

Department of Trade and Industry

jobs

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