In short, business in the fashion industry has not been as usual. Women who account for approximately 80 percent of the garment sector workforce, are heavily affected by many of the impacts of the pandemic. The tailors and seamstresses at PV Fashion Ent. were forced to stay at home when Philippine officials imposed enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila and other high-risk regions to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Under the highest tier, Enhanced Community Quarantine, residents must stay indoors unless they can produce a pass that enables them to go out and buy essential items. Under lower tiers, certain businesses were allowed to be open, but some groups—such as the elderly and the very young— had no choice but to remain indoors at all times. During the long lockdown, public transport and intercity travel was prevented, disrupting domestic value chains. Even after the lockdown began to ease in June, excessive permits were required, and rules were not uniformly implemented across locales. Making it extremely difficult for weaving communities around the Philippines to transport their fabric outside of provincial borders.

The Philippines’ response to the pandemic is described to be one of the longest and strictest lockdowns in the world. In an interview with Paul, owner of Shop & Paul and co-owner of PV Fashion Ent., he says that he faces many challenges including “…low to zero sales because clothes were not a priority, closing of stores and malls so people weren’t going out which meant negative income, and travel ban on non-essential items - even when he has online sales there would be no courier to deliver the orders so they would have to be returned.” On his manufacturing side at PV Fashion Ent., to cut down on cost, he and his partner were forced to let go of some staff leaving them jobless.