ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Zamboanga City Bankers and Financiers Association, Inc. (ZCBFAI) has shortened the banking hours of its member banks effective Monday due to rising coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections.
Inocente Locson, ZCBFAI president, said Monday that banking hours have been shortened to four hours daily from the usual six to eight banking hours a day to protect the employees against the virus.
Locson said that there were about 14 member banks whose employees tested positive for Covid-19 since March last year.
Currently, Locson said seven member-banks were placed on lockdown effective Monday (May 3) after some of their employees were infected with Covid-19.
The banks mentioned include the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC)-main, RCBC-Veterans branch; Philippine National Bank (PNB)-main, PNB-San Jose branch; Maybank, China Bank-San Jose Gusu branch, and United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB).
“Therefore, in the interest of the safety of the Officers and Staff of all Member-Banks, this resolution (04-2021) of the Zamboanga City Bankers and Financiers Association, Inc. is hereby resolved that the Member-Banks of the Association will observe shortened Banking Hours from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. effective May 3, 2021,” ZCBFAI said in its resolution released on Friday.
“We cannot operate with open doors and we cannot also prohibit our clients from entering the bank. The remedy is to shorten the banking hours,” Locson said.
The ZCBFAI has 76 banks and financing institutions as members. (PNA)
