(Pinasisilip sa Senado) EPEKTO NG LOCKDOWNS SA MSMEs

HINILING ni Sen. Grace Poe sa Senado na silipin ang epekto ng community quarantines sa micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sa bansa.

“While the government’s effort to infuse capital in support of MSMEs and the prioritization of their employees in the vaccination rollout are laudable, we need more long-term and sustainable recovery roadmaps for the foreseeable future,” pahayag ni Poe sa kanyang Senate Resolution No. 817.

Ayon kay Poe, noong 2018 ay nakapagtala ang Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) ng kabuuang 999,342 MSMEs sa bansa. Subalit iniulat kamakailan ng Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) na 10 percent ng MSMEs ay napilitang magsara hanggang noong June 2021 dahil sa kawalan ng benta.

Nakasaad sa resolution na kabilang ang food service industry sa top MSME groups na labis na naapektuhan ng quarantine restrictions dahil sa nature nito “that involves shelf life of products and a heavy mix of product consumption and service provision.”

Ang food establishments ang pinakamatinding naapektuhan ng mga lockdown at 20 percent lamang sa mga ito ang nakabawi kung saan umaasa sila sa take-out at delivery orders sa tuwing ipatutupad ang enhanced community quarantine at general community quarantine with heightened restrictions.

“Although owners of food establishments understand the need to implement lockdowns due to the rising COVID-19 cases, they are crying foul over the abrupt shift in quarantine protocols with only a day or so to prepare and are left with inventory that will go to waste,” nakasaad pa sa resolution.

“MSMEs should be part of the equation when we plan the implementation of lockdowns. If we keep leaving them out, it will be harder for our economy to bounce back with not many businesses left after the pandemic,” ani Poe.

“There are also compounding effects that we cannot ignore, especially when, on top of these losses, more workers in the food service industry are losing their jobs,” pagbibigay-diin pa ng senadora.

Ayon sa 2018 Census of Philippine Business and Industry, nasa 377,227 manggagawa ang nagtatrabaho sa restaurants at mobile food service activities.

“This is our new normal, and it calls for a better response from us. We need to be at least one step ahead, because every lockdown can’t feel like we’re taking two steps back,” dagdag pa ni Poe. LIZA SORIANO

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