DOT, DTI roll out new normal health and safety guidelines for restaurants

MANILA, Philippines — The joint recommendations of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on health and safety protocols for restaurant dine-in operations were approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

During the 42nd IATF-EID last June 1, the task force agreed that the resumption and continued operations of restaurants during quarantine and during the new normal will depend on the strict compliance of stakeholders to the said health and safety protocols.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said that "The DOT and the DTI shall soon roll out a post-audit mechanism to ensure that all restaurants follow the prescribed standards with non-compliant enterprises facing temporary closure until strict adherence to regulations is accomplished."

The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the marketing arm of DOT, is supporting this initiative through progressive information dissemination campaign on various print and digital platforms.

Here are the restaurant protocols and policies as stated on Memorandum Circular No 2020-004, or the "New Normal Health and Safety Guidelines for DOT-Accredited Restaurants":