VACCINATED. A group of young Bacolodnons inoculated against Covid-19 at the vaccination center inside SM City Bacolod in early July. A business leader based in Bacolod City on Wednesday (July 21, 2021) enjoined business establishments in Western Visayas to offer discounts to fully vaccinated customers. (File photo courtesy of Bacolod City PIO)
BACOLOD CITY – A business leader based in this city has enjoined establishments in Western Visayas to offer discounts to fully vaccinated customers.
Frank Carbon, vice president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the Visayas, said on Wednesday the goal is to help achieve “herd immunity” or mass vaccination to ensure population protection against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
“We want to reach it before Christmas. Once we reach herd immunity, businesses will have the confidence to reinvest and reopen,” he said in a statement.
Carbon, also the chief executive officer of Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the businesses themselves should help local government officials eliminate the Covid-19 menace as this will also enable them to generate much-needed jobs to restart the economy in Western Visayas.
“Investments beget investments and money begets money,” he added.
In Negros Occidental and this capital city, several business establishments such as shopping malls and fast-food chains have been offering discounts to fully-inoculated customers.
Three major shopping malls here, including SM City Bacolod, Robinsons Place Bacolod, and Ayala Malls Capitol Central, have offered spaces to serve as vaccination centers of the city government.
Carbon also called on government agencies, particularly the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Tourism, to issue a “safe place” sticker and allow businesses to accommodate more customers.
“With this, the public could develop a ‘safe feeling’ and prioritize ‘safe place’ establishments,” he added.
As of July 18, a total of 88,489 doses have been administered, including 66,012 first doses, and 22,477 for second doses in Bacolod City. (PNA)
