Have you ever heard of the Great Singapore Sale? It’s the longest-running sale in Singapore, and it’s basically a big retail bonanza where all the malls and shops in the country hold their best discounts for one month. Aside from being an insanely good time for consumers, it also boosts tourism as the sale draws in travelers from all over the world looking to buy high-end products at affordable prices.
The Department of Tourism has a similar event in the works called the Philippine Shopping Festival. Announced December last year, the festival would involve all big malls (SM, Ayala Malls, Megaworld, Vista Land, Robinsons, SSI, Shangri-La and Powerplant Malls) in the country to hold a month-long sale nationwide.
The festival was initially set to happen this March. But bad news: DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat announced on Feb. 29 that the festival would be cancelled amid concerns surrounding the coronavirus outbreak.
“The DOT has coordinated with the mall establishments and is thankful for their support on the decision to postpone the nationwide sale to a later date for the safety of their customers. The malls are still free to continue its day-to-day operations,” said Romulo-Puyat.
It’s important to note that one of the Department of Health’s top advice for preventing the virus is to stay away from crowds. This advice is especially important because the coronavirus is unique in that a carrier of the disease can seem healthy, which makes it easier to spread. Throw in a shopping festival and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.
Don’t feel too bad about the cancellation though: DOT is still planning to hold it, just at a later date. With the global death toll reaching past 3,000 and the virus reaching the U.S., it’s best to be safe than sorry.
Featured photo courtesy of Daniel von Appen on Unsplash
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Writer: ZOFIYA ACOSTA
