Makati City Mayor Abby Binay said on Thursday (Aug. 20) that the city has set guidelines for on-premises dining whenever the city is under a state of calamity, health emergency, or similar emergency declaration.
Binay said City Ordinance No. 2020-165 was approved on Wednesday by the Sangguniang Panlungsod to ensure the prevention, rapid containment, and restriction of the spread of infectious or communicable diseases, pandemics, epidemics, and/or outbreak of diseases. It will take effect on Aug. 31.
She said the local ordinance will serve as a guide for the operations of all restaurants and fast food businesses in the city regardless of size, including canteens, food courts, food parks, and other eateries providing on-premises dining or dine-in services.
“We enjoin all the owners of food businesses providing dine-in services to strictly adhere to the rules and regulations provided in the ordinance during times of crisis such as this pandemic,” Binay said.
“This ordinance aims not only to ensure the safety of our constituents and other patrons of food businesses in the city, but also to promote the welfare of their employees. While we recognize the need of business owners to continue operations in order to earn and survive a crisis, public health and safety must always prevail,” the mayor said.
Under the ordinance:
- Dine-in services are strictly prohibited when the city is under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
- Under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), a maximum of 30 percent of dine-in services will be allowed.
- Under general community quarantine(GCQ), a maximum of 50 percent of the dine-in services will be allowed.
- Under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), a maximum of 75 percent of dine-in services will be allowed.
- Allowable dine-in services are subject to strict compliance with the minimum public health standards and social distancing protocols.
- Rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizers for personnel, suppliers, and customers must be provided prior to entry to the establishment.
- The “no face mask, no entry “ policy shall be strictly enforced.
- Thermal scanning of personnel, suppliers, and customers prior to entry shall be conducted. Persons with a temperature higher than 37.5 degrees Celsius shall not be allowed to enter.
Establishments that violate the ordinance will face the following penalties:
- First offense: temporary closure for three days and a fine of P5,000
- Second offense: temporary closure for one month and a fine of P5,000
- Third and succeeding offenses: closure for a period of not more than a year and a fine of P5,000, or imprisonment, or both, at the discretion of the court.
Regarding liquor, the mayor said:
- Bars are not allowed to operate during times of emergency.
- Restaurants shall be permitted to serve all kinds of food and beverages including alcoholic drinks, provided that a customer shall be allowed a maximum of any alcoholic beverage with their meals during a two-hour meal.
- The allowable amount of alcoholic beverages are as follows: two wine glasses of wine per person or maximum of one 750-ml bottle of wine for two diners; two units of 330-ml bottles or two beers by the glass of equivalent amount, and two servings of spirit/cocktail glasses.
- The consumption of alcohol “in bulk," “in pitchers,” “in bucket,” or “in cases” shall not be allowed.
- Only those registered as food establishments may serve alcoholic drinks in the prescribed quantity together with the meal ordered.
- Patrons shall not be allowed to buy food outside the establishment to accompany the alcoholic beverage.
- Food ordered for later consumption or take-out shall not be considered as a dine-in meal that can be accompanied by alcoholic beverages.
The mayor said any person who consumes an alcoholic beverage without a meal in any establishment shall be penalized in accordance with City Ordinance No. 2020-152 which bans drinking liquor outside one’s residence during a pandemic or a similar crisis.
That 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.