No Holy Week ‘staycations’ in ECQ areas

MANILA, Philippines — Hotels in areas under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) are prohibited from taking leisure bookings starting today until Sunday as ordered by the Department of Tourism.

DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat yesterday issued an advisory to all hotels, resorts, apartments and motels to suspend their operations of accepting recreational stays, also known as staycation, in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal.

Guests billeted in accommodation establishments by midnight were permitted to stay for the duration of their booking, but owners and operators can no longer accept any new bookings throughout the week.

With the DOT directive, hotels will miss the opportunity to generate revenue this Lenten season. Historically, the Holy Week provides tourism enterprises a window to encourage people to go on a vacation.

If not for the reimposition of the ECQ, Filipinos could have used the long weekend to take a trip as President Duterte proclaimed Black Saturday a special non-working day. Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are regular holidays.

Puyat said only hotels designated as isolation facilities and quarantine centers are authorized to operate between today and Easter Sunday.

A hotel that operates neither as an isolation facility nor a quarantine center is barred from taking in visitors, unless the guest is leasing the unit for long term, a locally stranded individual, or an authorized person outside of residence on official duty.

Puyat reminded the hotels to comply with the minimum health standards set by the government, warning that sanctions await those who would breach the DOT’s directive and risk getting their accreditation to operate cancelled.

Under ECQ, only a skeleton staff with in-house accommodation is allowed to move around the premises. Regardless of quarantine status, support facilities and services like restaurants, bars, cafes, gyms, spas, swimming pools and function halls are prohibited from opening.

Hotels in areas under general community quarantine or modified GCQ may operate their support facilities and services for as long as they comply with the minimum health standards.

Guests who reserved leisure stays within the ECQ period may rebook without penalty provided they transacted directly with the hotel, according to the DOT.

Limited mall operations

Mall operators in the National Capital Region and other areas placed under ECQ will have limited operations, with only establishments providing essentials to the public kept open.

SM Supermalls, Ayala Malls, Robinsons Malls, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, Vista Malls, Araneta City, Shangri-La Plaza and Power Plant Mall said in their respective social media accounts that only supermarkets, banks, pharmacies and medical services, hardware stores, convenience stores and restaurants that offer takeout and delivery would remain open to serve customers from March 29 to April 4, in compliance with the government’s recent directive.

SM Supermalls said essential stores would be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with “free parking offered to all our customers during this period.”

Robinsons Malls said establishments offering essentials would also be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but supermarket hours would be from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. It added that it would offer free parking (excluding overnight parking).

Ayala Malls said only essential stores would be available in its malls in ECQ areas.

“For your added convenience, parking will be free during this period,” Ayala Malls said.

For Shangri-La Plaza, essential stores would be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

As for Power Plant Mall, stores offering essentials would be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., while the Marketplace will operate from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Many of the malls will be closed on April 1 (Maundy Thursday) and April 2 (Good Friday). – Louella Desiderio