SM Supermarket, Savemore in Bacolod get Safety Seal from DTI

NEGROS: DTI-Negros Occidental Consumer Protection Unit Head Romel Amihan awards the Safety Seal to SM Supermarket personnel headed by store manager Ria Ablong at the mall in Bacolod City Thursday. (Contributed photo)

Affirming the establishment’s strict compliance to government-mandated safety protocols against coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Negros Occidental has awarded the Safety Seal to SM Supermarket at SM City Bacolod and Savemore Bacolod-East Branch.

These were among the recent establishments in Western Visayas that received the certification from the agency.

The Safety Seal certificates are issued by the DTI and other government agencies to business establishments and organizations that adhere to minimum health standards set by the government.

DTI-Negros Occidental Consumer Protection Unit Head Romel Amihan awarded the seal to SM Supermarket store manager Ria Ablong Thursday, June 24, 2021.

The Savemore Bacolod-East Branch, on the other hand, received the seal last week.

Both establishments joined the list of 20 big companies that DTI-Western Visayas has awarded this month, with more establishments still lined up for inspection.

Aside from the DTI, the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Tourism, Department of Health, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and local government units are also inspecting and assessing establishments under their jurisdiction before issuing safety seals.

Amihan, in a statement, said that while it is a voluntary certification scheme, having the Safety Seal is the establishments’ public declaration to their customers and the community that health and safety are prioritized and all protocols are followed.

“It signals to the community that the 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 while also ensuring that minimum health protocols are strictly implemented.

These protocols included the wearing of face masks and face shields, regular disinfection and use of the required contact tracing system, among others.

Members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases are also encouraging customers to patronize establishments that have the Safety Seal.

Source: Sun Star