Cebu Provincial Board asks lessors to extend deferment of rental for biz, residential spaces

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Amid the continuing economic challenge due to the quarantine restrictions, the Cebu Provincial Board has called owners of business and residential spaces to allow the deferment of the payment of their tenants’ rentals.

In a resolution, Board Member Glenn Anthony Soco, who chairs the Committee on Commerce, Trade, and Industry, said the last five months of the imposition of different levels of the quarantine classifications in Cebu has continued to cause struggle among Cebuanos and the entire country.

The PB, during its regular session on Monday, August 24, 2020, unanimously adopted Soco’s resolution.

READ: Soco asks utilities to give incentives, adopt deferred payment schemes

Although a majority of the province is now under the less restrictive modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) status, the operations of some businesses, particularly the micro, small and medium enterprises, have not yet resumed due to the restrictions that are still implemented and the losses from months of being inoperational, among other factors.

The city of Talisay and the municipalities of Consolacion and Minglanilla, albeit having significantly decreased the number of active cases in their locality, also continue to be under the GCQ status, leaving other establishments unable to resume operations. The three LGUs are the nearest to the highly urbanized cities which are the center of commerce and manufacturing industries in Cebu.

Last April, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) issued a memorandum circular providing for the 30-day concession for the payment of commercial and residential rents in areas under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and modified ECQ.

“These measures (extension of payment deadline) are strongly supported by this body considering that the Cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue, Minglanilla, Consolacion, and Talisay remain under GCQ. Business owners from these jurisdictions welcome this development as they are obviously incapable to comply with these monthly overhead payments,” Soco said in his resolution.

On top of businesses that may not be able to afford to pay for rent due to the halt of operations, affected workers who have been displaced, temporarily or permanently, are at greater peril in paying for their house rentals, the resolution added.

“During quarantine periods, there had been reports of tenants and boarders who were unceremoniously evicted from their occupied spaces after having failed to pay for rent for a month. These actuations terrified businesses and displaced workers who are renting small spaces,” Soco’s resolution added. /bmjo