SAN JOSE, Antique  (PIA) - - A total of 18 business establishments in the province of Antique under the jurisdiction of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) were awarded the Safety Seal as provided under the DOLE-DOH-DILG-DOT-DTI Joint Memorandum Circular No. 21-01 or the Safety Seal Certification Program.

Supervising Trade and Industry Development Specialist, Engr. Lynna Joy Cardinal, in an interview during the PIA radio program, encouraged the business establishments to comply with the Safety Seal program to ensure their compliance to health protocols for their safety and of their consumers as well. 

She also reported that as of August 16, there are 18 establishments in the province that were inspected and found to be compliant with the requirements of the Safety Seal Certification Program, thus, awarded a Safety Seal which is displayed in their firm's  entrances. 

services, meetings, incentives, conferences & events venues/facilities, restaurants inside hotels/resorts.

Manufacturing, construction sites, utilities (electric, water, gas, air conditioning supply, sewerage, waste management), information and
communication companies (private publication, news, movie production, tv and radio companies) and warehouses are under the Department of Labor and Employment.

She emphasized that each agency stated in the memorandum circular has its own jurisdiction. For DTI it covers groceries, supermarkets, membership shopping clubs, convenience stores, construction supply/ hardware stores, logistics service providers (outlets), barbershops and salons and service and repair Shops.

The Local Government Units are in-charge in issuing safety seal to the malls, wet markets, other retail stores, restaurants outside hotels/resorts, fast food, eateries, coffee shops, banks, money changers, pawnshops, remittance centers, car wash, laundry service centers, art galleries, libraries, museums, zoo, sports centers, tutorial, testing, and review centers, gyms, spas, cinemas, arcades, and all other private establishments.

Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior and Local Government is in charge of city halls, municipal halls, provincial capitols, all other local government unit facilities and buildings, police camps and stations, Bureau of Fire Protection offices and fire stations, provincial/district/city jails, barangay halls, and other barangay facilities, all other public establishments not covered by the other issuing agencies.

Cardinal stressed the need for every establishment to comply with the requirements of the safety seal program not only for the acquisition of the safety seal but importantly to ensure that everyone is safe and are following the health protocol in order to be part of the solution to the COVID pandemic. (JBG/PSM/PIA-Antique)