Cebu City seeks to cushion economic impact of COVID-19

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City government will be meeting with the business sector on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, to discuss measures of curbing the economic impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Since Cebu City is placed under general community quarantine, many establishments, workers, and small-time businesses are heavily affected by the curfews and reduced trade.

With this, Labella said the city will try to negotiate utilities such as Visayan Electric, Metropolitan Cebu Water District, and the telecommunication companies to extend their deadlines of bills for at least a month so that no-work-no-pay employees will not suffer.

“Bisan one month lang nga dili lang sa pabayrun, dakong tabang na ni sa atong mga workers until makatrabaho silag balik. (Even if it’s just one month of delayed bill payment, this is already a huge help for our workers until they can work again),” said the mayor.

Landlords, banks, and loaning institutions are also encouraged to defer collection of payment until the spread of the virus dissipates.

Councilor Raymond Garcia, the City Council’s chairman on the committee on budget and finance, also said the council is drafting an ordinance that would provide business tax discounts of up to 50 percent to establishments for the months of March and April to help the business sector.

“Hopefully this would help our businesses at least defray cost because there is little income these days,” he said. This way, the businesses would also have more to give to their employees in this time of need.

Labella urged the businesses to give in advance a part of or the whole 13th-month pay of employees if they can especially for those who cannot work during the community quarantine period.

This way, workers will have money to spend while they cannot work.

He said the 13th month may be prorated in the number of months the employee has worked this year.

Labella said he hopes to find solutions to the economic problems brought by the Covid-19 tomorrow and ease the consequences of the community quarantine. /rcg