CALAMBA CITY, LAGUNA – To help ensure the safety of consumers as well as the personnel of the business establishments against COVID- 19, especially during the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ), the Department of Trade and Industry – Laguna Provincial Office (DTI-Laguna) together with the Department of Labor and Employment – Laguna Provincial Office (DOLE-Laguna) monitored the business establishments compliance with the DTI-DOLE Joint Memorandum Circular 20-04A or the DTI and DOLE Supplemental Guidelines on Workplace Prevention and Control of COVID-19.

This was held in one mall in Calamba City on 22 April 2021, where they were able to randomly inspect a total of 52 business establishments consisting of 25 food establishments and 27 retailers with a compliance rate of 92.3%.

Joining the Joint DTI and DOLE teams was the mall management as they also conducted random checking of their tenants’ compliance with the above-mentioned circular.

There were only a few violations noted upon monitoring the business establishments. Said establishments were also immediately advised to comply as those are part of the minimum health and safety requirements being implemented by the agencies.

Moreover, the monitoring team discussed their observations with the mall management during the monitoring. They recommended them to encourage their tenants in the Cyberzone and Food Court area to place barriers at the counters where most of the transactions are being made for added protection for both customers and employees.

From 9 March to 22 April 2021, a total of 497 establishments consisting of 19 barbershops, 31 salons, 278 food Establishments, 6 manufacturers, and 163 others (including retailers) were monitored with a compliance rate of 85.5%.

DTI-Laguna will continue to intensify its monitoring activities to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.♦

Date of Release: 26 April 2021