During this pandemic, the business world has been greatly devastated as stores of all sorts have closed. Shopping mall tenants have lost fortunes of investments while shoppers and buyers have gone into the saving process. And employment has been the great worry in society even until today.
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With the easing of restrictions, the economy has started to make a slow come-back, surely but not fairly yet as people are still afraid of the virus that may hit them anytime. But observers said that the count on the virus should be based on the number of deaths and not much on the figures declared by health and government authorities.
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Many have doubted the scoreboard on the virus as suspicions abound that even those with simple illnesses such as cough, headaches, tonsillitis, and slight fever are recorded as COVID-infected. What are really the honest figures on the honest scoreboard? Ask WHO and DOH, many said
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Recently in Bacolod City, the matter of the liquor ban issue was raised by leaders of the economic and business sectors. It was then presented during the visit of Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat and directed to the city leadership as to how the liquor ban matter is defined.
Concerned civic and business leaders clarified that there are two kinds of establishments in a community, one is a dining place and the other is tagged as a drinking place. Why then should a liquor ban be enforced on a dining place where guests of that type of establishments do not consume much alcohol compared to those in drinking places? Many conformed to this school of thought.
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After such enlightenment, the leaders of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Negros Occidental, the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Resorts Association in Negros presented their rationale and appeal to the city leadership.
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On a deeper evaluation, the local government took logic and brilliance on the appeal with all due respect to the business community and issued an executive order stating the lifting of the liquor ban in hotels, restaurants and similar dining establishments but maintaining the liquor ban on karaoke bars, night clubs, drinking places, and similar places.
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With this example, it is clear that the local government leaders should also listen to the private sector as some thoughts of wisdom may not have been thought of by political figures. This simply shows that the need for the private sector participation is indeed a more fruitful one than just within the limited minds and senses of those in government.
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In our succeeding article, this column will also express the thoughts and opinions of the community related to the concerns of the penalties imposed by the transportation authorities on the non-wearing of face masks while driving and traveling.
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This column greets and says thank you to Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer for his support to the road safety advocacy of the Citizens Traffic and Road Safety Group in Negros Occidental. Cheers as well go to Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas for doing a good job in providing realistic bike lanes for cyclists in his city. And our hats off to Pavia (Iloilo) Sangguniang Bayan Members Dol Fajardo and Pyt Trimanez for their valuable concern for their constituents./WDJ