True to its slogan, SM City Bacolod continues to find ways to better serve the public, especially this time of the pandemic. Giving priority to the safety and well-being of shoppers, the mall management and personnel had been working hard, diligently enforcing health protocols.
Their hard work paid off as the City Government of Bacolod recognized SM City as the first establishment to receive the Safety Seal Certificate. The certification is part of the initiative to ensure that health and safety protocols are implemented in the conduct of business and trade in the city.
Under this program, establishments awarded with a Safety Seal certificate are allowed an additional 10 percent onsite capacity beyond the prescribed standard, as per Resolution no. 127-A, series of 2021, of the Inter-Agency Task Force.
The Safety Seal Certification is an inter-agency effort among the Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Health, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Tourism, and the Department of Labor and Employment.
The program affirms that an establishment has been inspected by the government and was found compliant with minimum public health standards, uses or integrates its contact tracing with the StaySafe.ph app, and possesses the requisite business permits or franchise.
As the first establishment to receive the certificate in Bacolod City, SM City’s commitment of delivering an all-inclusive service to the public is strengthened.
“We thank the City (of Bacolod) for their recognition that we are among the practitioners and advocates of minimum public health protocols,” said George Jardiolin, SM City manager.
“By having this Safety Seal, we want the public to really feel our #SafeMalling campaign, that when you are here at our premises, you can be assured that all measures to ensure a healthy and safe environment is being undertaken,” Jardiolin added.
SM Supermarket at SM City Bacolod and the newly-opened Park Inn Hotel are also among the recent establishments that received their Safety Seal certification from the DTI in Region VI. Both joined the list of 20 big companies that DTI Region VI has awarded the certificate.
“While it is a voluntary certification scheme, having the Safety Seal is your public declaration to your customers and the community that health and safety is prioritized and all protocols are followed,” said Romel Amihan, DTI Negros Occidental Consumer Protection Unit head.
“It signals to the community that your place is safe to visit,” he added.
As more business establishments apply for certification, it is the government’s aim for the Safety Seal program to help increase public confidence in businesses in this time of the pandemic.
It is also an innovative way of ensuring that minimum health protocols are strictly implemented, such as the wearing of face masks and face shields, regular disinfection, and use of the required contact tracing system, among others. It boosts the efforts of the IATF in encouraging customers to patronize establishments that have the Safety Seal.
Together with all shoppers from all walks of life, SM City Bacolod will continue to navigate through the pandemic. With its service-trained personnel and management, the mall is staying true to the slogan coined by its founders: We got it all for you. – NWI
