A nationwide mall sale was previously announced by the Department of Tourism with the intention of boosting tourism in the country amidst the scare of the 2019 novel coronavirus.
The said sale was supposed to be scheduled for the whole month of March and was planned to be the local version of other international sales wherein people would just travel to the country to shop.
However, in a media release that first appeared in other news sites, the DOT has announced the postponement of the 2020 Philippine Shopping Festival until further notice. This is in light of the alarming rise of confirmed COVID-19 cases around the world.
“As much as we want to mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19, the safety of our citizens remains our priority. We advise the general public to maintain proper hygiene and follow the guidelines set by the Department of Health to contain the spread of the virus,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.
The DOT continues to urge shopping malls all around the country to sustain their precautionary measures during their day-to-day operations.
