Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said she was encouraged by what she saw among the establishments inspected in the Ortigas Center recently, that included the Marco Polo Hotel and Go Hotels and several restaurants in SM Megamall.
“All of us underwent the standard protocols prescribed in the guidelines, like the filling out of health declaration forms and the temperature checks before entering the establishments.
I commend the collective efforts of our stakeholders to abide by the prescribed health and safety guidelines. It is important for us to sustain these efforts as they will influence how we rebuild consumer trust and regain tourist confidence in the Philippines,” Puyat said.
“It was also inspiring to experience how establishments have stepped up to keep our brand of Filipino hospitality — even behind facemasks and physical distancing — while we are still in the midst of this pandemic,” she added.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) had issued “new normal” health and safety guidelines for hotels in accordance with the minimum public health standards set by the Department of Health. These standards cover the kitchens, food and beverage service, sanitation and disinfection, guest handling, reception and concierge, rooms, housekeeping, public areas and transportation.
The DOT also issued separate guidelines for dine-in operations of accredited restaurants following the adoption of the joint recommendation of the DOT and Department of Trade and Industry by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
The inspection is part of the ongoing compliance audit conducted by the DOT’s NCR office.
Up to June 25, the NCR office of the DOT had carried out 243 inspection tours on hotels and restaurants in the region.
