Metro Manila mayors to allow 24/7 food delivery

MANILA, Philippines — A majority of Metro Manila mayors have agreed to allow round-the-clock food delivery services of fast-food chains and restaurants during general community quarantine or GCQ, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) general manager Jojo Garcia said yesterday.

“A piece of good news to our economic team: majority of the mayors allowed restaurants and fast-food chains to be open for 24 hours delivery,” Garcia said at a Palace briefing.

He did not disclose the number of mayors amenable to the move or who they are, saying it would still be at their discretion to actually implement it. He advised the public to wait for the mayors to release executive orders on the easing of rules governing food delivery service.

Mayors have also agreed on a uniform curfew over Metro Manila from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., Garcia added.

On Wednesday, Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno issued Executive Order No. 35 allowing 24-hour food delivery services, saying it’s the city’s “own little way” of protecting jobs and helping businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The City of Manila sees the need to slowly open the economy in the city, particularly in the food and restaurant industry and to balance this with the demand from the general public, which may serve as stimulus of economic growth,” he said.

“For the meantime, we must learn how to live while there is COVID-19, and at the same time, we must learn to go back to work safely and to discipline ourselves, for us to help stimulate our economy,” Moreno said in a statement.

He said restaurants are “allowed to operate beyond curfew hours of the city, provided that it shall cater only to those authorized persons outside of residence.”

Under GCQ, the mayor said all food establishments are “allowed to operate at 30 percent venue capacity, provided that it strictly adheres to minimum public health standards at all times as set by the government such as but not limited to social distancing protocols.”

He also added that food establishments should be “compliant with the protocols prescribed by Department of Tourism, or by the joint guidelines issued by the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Labor and Employment, and Department of Health.”

2 glasses of wine, 2 bottles of beer

Meanwhile, the Makati City government has allowed restaurants to serve alcoholic beverages – but only by the glass and accompanied by meals.

In Ordinance No. 2020-165 approved on Wednesday, restaurant customers are allowed only two glasses of wine or two bottles of beer, or two servings of spirit or cocktail glasses to accompany every meal. There are no restrictions on food orders. Diners are not allowed to stay for more than two hours in an establishment.

The ordinance also contains guidelines for on-premises dining whenever the city is under a state of calamity, public health emergency or similar declarations. The measure takes effect at the end of the month.

The ordinance imposes a fine of P5,000 for the first offense; P5,000 or imprisonment for not more than one month, or both for the second offense; and P5,000 or imprisonment for not more than a year, or both at the discretion of the court, for the third and succeeding offenses.

The ordinance also said that under GCQ, a maximum of 50 percent of dine-in services would be allowed, while 75 percent seating capacity would be allowed under modified GCQ.

Under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ,) dine-in services would not be allowed, while only 30 percent would be allowed during modified ECQ.

These would be allowed as long as there is a strict compliance with the minimum public health standards particularly physical distancing.

Rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizers for personnel, suppliers and customers are mandated under the ordinance, as well as the “no face mask, no entry” policy .

Persons with a temperature higher than 37.5 degrees Celsius shall not be allowed to enter establishments.

Establishments that violated the ordinance would be slapped with a temporary closure for three days and a fine of P5,000 for the first offense; P5,000 and temporary closure for one month for the second offense; and closure for not more than a year and P5,000 or imprisonment for not more than a year, or both at the discretion of the court, for the third and succeeding offenses.

Meanwhile, the city of Parañaque has lifted its liquor ban through Executive Order 2020-049 issued by Mayor Edwin Olivarez.

“Upon the recommendation of the business permit and licensing office, there is now a need to lift the suspension of permits and licenses to sell liquor and other intoxicating and alcoholic beverages in view of the policy of the national government to relax certain stringent measures,” Olivarez said in his EO.

But the selling of alcohol would only be allowed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Consumption of alcoholic drinks in public places is not allowed. – Ralph Villanueva, Rey Galupo