STATE-OWNED Duty Free Philippines Corp. (DFPC) has temporarily closed its operations until further notice in adherence to President Duterte’s declaration of enhanced community quarantine for the entire Luzon.
“We decided to close all downtown and airport stores nationwide, including our online store to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019],” DFPC Chief Operating Officer Vicente Pelagio A. Angala said in a statement.
Angala added that this decision has been made while prioritizing “the safety and well-being of our customers, employees, and the local community” during these difficult and unprecedented times.
“We will assess the situation accordingly on the appropriate time to reopen our stores,” the top executive said.
As of 12 noon on Wednesday, the Department of Health reported that 15 new cases were confirmed, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases to 202. So far, 17 people have died and seven patients have already recovered. The Luzon-wide quarantine will last until April 12.
Established 32 years ago, DFPC is a government owned and controlled corporation (GOCC), providing a duty and tax-free merchandising system to overseas Filipino workers, repatriates and regular local travelers.
Half of the revenues of this GOCC is remitted to the Department of Tourism, which uses the funds to finance for tourism development projects.