Traditional cinemas and some other leisure activities will be allowed to reopen and expand subject to conditions to be imposed by the concerned government agencies, Malacanang said on Friday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, in an interview with state-run television PTV4, said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases decided to further open up other industries during its meeting on Thursday.

The following businesses/industries are allowed to reopen and further expand:

1. Driving schools;

2. Traditional cinemas, and video- and interactive-game arcades;

3. Libraries, archives, museums, and cultural centers;

4. Meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE), and limited social events at accredited establishments of the Department of Tourism; and

5. Limited tourist attractions, such as parks, theme parks, natural sites, and historical landmarks.

The reopening and further expansion of such businesses or industries are "subject to the issuance of implementing guidelines providing for their operations capacity, and oversight of the appropriate regulatory agency and the local government units where they may be located," IATF Resolution No. 99 read.

The task force said those businesses and industries shall also comply with the criteria developed by the Department of Health with the strict observance of minimum public health standards, as may be appropriate.

Since most parts of the country were placed under lockdown in March last year due to coronavirus disease, the above businesses and industries have been closed.

The government has been pushing to further open up other industries in order for the economy to recover faster after it contracted by 9.5 percent last year due to coronavirus pandemic. Celerina Monte/DMS