Safety Seal Certification Program for Business Establishments Introduced to Improve Health Protocol Implementation

To further promote the practice of implementing health protocols in business establishments, the government has launched a safety seal certification program.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) signed a joint memorandum circular (JMC) Friday for the implementation of the guidelines of the said safety seal certification program.

The safety seal will inform consumers that a certain business establishment strictly implements health protocols in their respective store or workplace. Part of the minimum health protocols include the strict wearing of face masks and face shields inside the premises of the establishment, proper ventilation, constant disinfection, and the use of StaySafe.ph, the contact tracing system for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), said that consumers should patronize establishments that have the safety seal.

DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez said in a virtual briefing that the safety seal will instill public confidence in businesses compliance with the implementation of minimum health protocols.

“Through the safety seal certification, the government aims to increase public confidence in businesses at this time of the pandemic while also ensuring compliance in the minimum health protocols. This is because the signage of the safety seal, which affirms that an establishment has been found compliant with these health protocols,” he said.

IATF co-chair Karlo Nograles added in a Presidential Communications interview that the safety seal together with the StaySafe.ph contact tracing system aims to increase customer confidence.

“Itong safety seal, na kasama itong contact tracing… Ang objective po talaga natin dito is to instill consumer confidence,” he said.

The safety seal will be valid for six months upon the date of issuance, with the exception for tourism enterprises, which will be given a validity period of the safety seal for one year.

An establishment will then renew the certification one month before the expiry date of the safety seal. (GFB)