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GCQ Guidelines

for businesses

What is GCQ?

The General Community Quarantine (GCQ) is a form of quarantine with moderate and lenient measures as compared to ECQ and MECQ.

It is implemented in provinces or cities that have a moderate to low risk of COVID-19. Safety protocols are still to be enforced in establishments and LGUs should still follow a curfew to non-workers. Here is a summary of the guidelines released by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) for your information.

General Guidelines

  • The elderly and the youth should stay at home
  • Limited contact sports only (golf, tennis)
  • Gatherings are limited up to 10 people only
  • Schools – skeletal workforce is allowed to process requirements, prepare graduation
  • Alternative work arrangements (e.g. 4-day work week)
  • Public transport with strict safe distancing
  • All public and private vehicles are allowed with load limit according to mode of transport
  • Inter-island transport is allowed (GCQ to GCQ places only)

Construction workers accredited by the DPWH to work on facilities for healthcare and for risk reduction can resume

How does this affect my business?

    • Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries
    • Manufacturing of essential goods
    • Other manufacturing such as wood products, non-metallic products, tobacco, paper and paper products, rubber and plastic products, machinery and equipment, etc.
    • Hospitals and clinics
    • Essential retail
    • Laundry shops
    • Food preparation and water-refilling: take out and delivery only
    • Logistics service providers
    • Delivery service
    • Utilities
    • Repair and installation of machinery and equipment
    • Telecommunications companies
    • Energy companies
    • Gasoline stations
    • Construction workers accredited by DPWH
    • Manufacturing companies and suppliers of products necessary for construction
    • Media establishments
    • Cement and steel
    • Mining and quarrying
    • Electronic commerce companies
    • Postal, courier, and delivery services
    • Export-oriented companies
    • Real estate activities (buying, selling, appraising, etc)
    • Public and private construction projects that are essential (sewerage, health facilities, water services facilities)
    • Repair of computers and personal and household goods
    • Housing service activities
    • Office administrative and office support
    • Funeral and embalming services
    • Veterinary clinics
    • Security and investigation activities
    • BPO
    • Banks, money, transfer services, MFIs, pawnshops, and credit cooperatives
    • Capital markets (BSP, SEC, PDEC, etc.)
    • Legal and accounting
    • Management and consultancy activities
    • Architecture and engineering activities
    • Scientific and research development
    • Advertising and market research
    • Computer programming (e.g., writing code, designing computer systems) and information service activities (e.g., data processing)
    • Publishing and printing activities (e.g., newspapers, books, etc; printing on textiles, glass, etc.)
    • Film, music and TV production
    • Rental and leasing, other than real estate (e.g., vehicles, equipment for permitted sectors)
    • Employment activities (e.g., recruitment and placement for permitted sectors)
    • Wholesale and retail trade of motor vehicles. Motorcycles, and bicycles, including their parts and components
    • Other activities (e.g., photography, fashion, industrial, graphic, and interior design)
    • Repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles, and bicycles (including vulcanizing shops, battery repair shops, auto repair shops)
    • Malls and commercial centers (non-leisure only, in line with below)
  • Accomodation for guests
  • Dining/Restaurants
  • Barbershops and salons
  • Entertainment industries (e.g., cinemas, theaters, karaoke bars, etc.)
  • Kid amusement industries (e.g., playrooms, rides)
  • Libraries, archives, museums and cultural centers
  • Tourist destinations (e.g., water parks, beaches, resorts)
  • Travel agencies, tour operators, reservation service and related activities
  • Personal care services (e.g., massage parlors, sauna, facial care, waxing, etc.
  • Gyms/fitness studios and sports facilities

Minimum Safety Guidelines

In compliance with safety protocols, a “no mask, no entry” rule should always be observed. Frequent sanitation and handwashing are encouraged and touching of surfaces and the face should be avoided. Stricter safety protocols are to be followed for higher-risk occupations, industries, and spaces.

 

For safe distancing, a 1 meter apart rule should always be observed — workspaces should be reconfigured to practice this. Workers who show symptoms are to discontinue work immediately. In addition, markers observing the 1 meter apart rule should be placed in public places. Private companies should adhere to return-to-work protocols. Employees are to work from home as default with exceptions of on-site work. Private shuttles should be provided and PCR confirmatory testing should be performed on employees.

Guidelines for Partially Allowed Sectors and Value Chains

A minimum of 50% of your employees are required to work from home. Allowed onsite workers should not exceed 50% of the total population of your employees.