With the Covid-19 Inter-Agency Task Force’s (IATF) decision to finally allow movie theaters, arcades and other leisure activity destinations to operate across areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) come March 1, SM Cinemas — the country’s largest chain of movie houses — reiterates its readiness to open on Monday with careful implementation of health and safety protocols.

The IATF had initially given cinemas permission to reopen as early as February 15 but Metro Manila mayors were apprehensive given a number of confirmed cases of the new Covid variants emerging then. Allowing leeway and additional time for the local governments (LGUs) to form operational guidelines for cinema operators, the agency duly moved the big day to March 1.