Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 19) — The nationwide shopping sale in the Philippines will push through in March despite safety concerns due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said on Wednesday.
He said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III is working with the Tourism and Interior Departments to ensure the safety of the public in these populated areas, adding precautionary measures such as proper handwashing and cough etiquette should be practiced.
“These are practices that are really encouraged. Definitely we should be back to normalcy when we have to go out we have to do our regular business and encourage just to maintain the growth, momentum we have. We should not worry on the COVID-19. Precautionary measures lang ang kailangan (There’s no need to worry as long as we use precautionary measures),” he told CNN Philippines.
The Philippines is set to hold its first month-long nationwide shopping mall sale to attract local and foreign tourists to promote domestic tourism. This is seen to bring in revenue for businesses to help the tourism slump caused by the imposed travel ban and aviation fears.
“We basically just tried to attract more activities, more events at the malls and essentially to address the declining tourism revenues so instead of foreign tourism as you know is affected by the COVID 19, we’re promoting more domestic tourism,” Lopez said.
The Department of Tourism is mounting different activities to promote local tourism. It is working with the office of President Rodrigo Duterte to bring him to the country’s major islands.
In February alone, the country is expecting to lose P14.8 billion in tourism or a total of P42.9 billion in revenue if the travel ban on China, Hong Kong, and Macau lasts for three months.
Read original article: https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/2/19/Nationwide-mall-sale-coronavirus.html