MARIVELES, Bataan — The Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) on Wednesday announced that majority of locators at the Freeport Area of Bataan here started opening with the implementation of the modified enhanced community quarantine.
Bataan was placed under MECQ, except Mariveles with heightened restrictions, from Aug. 23 to 31 after being under ECQ from Aug. 8 to 22.
Paul Robert Salapantan, AFAB corporate affairs technical officer, said that 85 to 90 companies have returned to operation with some still on lockdown to fix their health and safety protocols.
He said that as of end of July 2021 before the imposition of ECQ, 89 multinational firms were open while before the pandemic there were about 100 locators with more than 40,000 workers under their employ.
With the imposition of MECQ, 50 percent of the manpower are allowed to work and that means more than 20,000 returning to factories, a big number that caused confusion and overcrowding at the FAB gates Monday morning.
“Nakalulungkot na meron pailan-ilan gates na nagkaroon ng pagkukumpulan ng tao sa pagpasok noong umaga,” Salapantan said.
He said that as early as Friday, AFAB was ready to present recommendations and meet with the municipal government, provincial health office and the provincial Inter-Agency Task Force on what measures to take in the MECQ implementation Monday.
“Gusto naming makapanayam sila para sa mga hakbang na gagawin sa pagbubukas ng MECQ ngunit Sabado na ng hapon kami nabalikan at nagkausap pero naiintindihan naman namin na maraming trabaho ang lahat kaya Saturday evening na naipadala ang invitation for zoom meeting,” Salapantan said.
He said that AFAB observed Tuesday a big improvement on the situation at the gates unlike Monday morning. Guards continuously reminded workers to observe safety protocols. There were no more overcrowding at the gates.
“Agad-agad kaming nagpulong ulit kasama ang mga kinatawan ng mga kumpanya at ipinaalala namin na hindi pwede ang ganoon, kung hindi ay maaaring isarado muna ang kanilang operasyon,” Salapantan said.
“Further improvements will be seen kapag nakapag-issue na kami ng color coded gate passes at naniniwala ako na ito ang malaking makakatulong para hindi na masyadong matagal ang beripikasyon kung ang tao ay dapat pumasok sa araw na iyon,” the AFAB official said.
