Bulacan LGU awards ‘Safety Seal’ to SM mall

City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan. The SM Mall was the first private establishment in this city to receive the “Safety Seal” certification as the local government unit (LGU) launched on Thursday the program affirming its strict compliance with the government-mandated safety protocols against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Mary Joy Ballego, information officer of SM San Jose del Monte, in an interview said after a thorough inspection and evaluation of crowd control, ventilation, and digital contact tracing, the Safety Seal was issued to the mall and some of its establishments by Mayor Arthur Robes and Evangeline Garcia, head of the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO.)

Mall manager Jose Mari Emmanuel Correa thanked the government agencies’ representatives who took time to inspect and evaluate the mall, especially those from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

“We all know that the Safety Seal is a big help to restore the confidence of our customers, and for us, it serves as a recognition of our hard work in ensuring the safety of every shopper,” Correa said.

Robes said SM has been a long-time partner of the city in all its efforts to serve the community.

In his speech, he stressed the importance of the Covid-19 vaccine and encouraged the people to take advantage of the government’s inoculation program.

“SM again is one of our partners in vaccination. If there is anyone here who is not yet vaccinated, get vaccinated. It is important that we have a full defense against Covid-19,” he said.

Business establishments inside SM that also received their Safety Seal stickers are The SM Store, SM Supermarket, SM Appliance Center, Anytime Fitness, Red Ribbon, Greenwich, Infinitea, and Max’s Restaurant.

“SM management is continuously encouraging the other merchants to apply for their certification, while the others are already in the process to get their own seals,” Ballego said.

Prior to SM City San Jose del Monte, the other three SM malls in the province, namely SM City Baliwag, SM City Marilao, and SM Center Pulilan, were already granted the Safety Seal certification by their governing municipalities.

The safety seals given to SM and its business partners are valid for six months from the issuance date. (PNA)

Source: Phil News Agency