BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III
Six business establishments in Bacolod received safety seal certificates from the city government yesterday after it was validated that they had complied with all the minimum public health standard protocols of the National Inter-Agency Task Force and the Department of Interior and Local Government.
Business Processing and Licensing Office head Stella Rose Rayos identified the recipients as SM City and Ayala Malls Capitol Central, Jollibee’s SM and Lacson branches, McDonalds Lacson, and the Business Process Outsourcing firm Teleperformance Bacolod.
Aside from these establishments, Rayos said six more are scheduled to receive their safety seal certificates although the schedule and the names of these business entities are yet to be revealed.
She said that, as of Wednesday, the BPLO received 72 online applications from business establishments seeking to receive safety seal certificates, and some have already been subjected to onsite validation.
Unfortunately for 40 business establishments, they were disqualified for not having mayor’s permits and other documents, while six other business entities are up for re-application, Rayos told the DAILY STAR.
Under IATF Resolution 127-A, series of 2021, establishments that were given safety seal will be allowed an additional 10 percent beyond the prescribed onsite capacity.
CLIENTS’ SAFETY
Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, who led the distribution of the safety seal certificates, said that the application is voluntary but this is good because the clients are assured of their safety whenever they are in these establishments.
Leonardia said he is hoping that more business entities will also apply for safety seal certificates so the safety protocols in the city will be standardized.
The Ayala Malls Capitol Central, in a statement, said the Safety Seal it received yesterday gives the customers and its partners the assurance of the mall’s compliance with health safety standards, including round-the-clock sanitation, good air/ventilation quality, UV scanners on escalators, supply of alcohol in common areas, and vaccinated front-end personnel.
Outdoor dining areas are also opened for the customers to enjoy safe dining, following the implemented capacity, it added.
“Ayala Malls Capitol Central is grateful to the City Government of Bacolod for awarding the Safety Seal, along with other government agencies, for the certification program to help the retail sector as it navigates toward recovery. This also ensures the public a safe experience in the mall,” the statement added.*
