Filipinos who are weary of the monotony of staying at home for months amid the COVID-19 threat may now have the option of booking for short leisure vacations in hotels provided that they are COVID-free based on a rapid antigen test conducted on the same day of check-in.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat recently signed Administrative Order No. 2020-006-A amending the guidelines on the operations of accommodation establishments for staycation purposes under a general community quarantine (GCQ).
The order now allows “staycations” for persons of all ages, except for those with underlying medical conditions.
“We welcome the approval of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to permit ‘staycations’ or a minimum of an overnight stay for leisure purposes in GCQ areas. This decision adds to the DOT’s drive to slowly but safely resume tourism in the country and finally bring back jobs to our workers in the industry,” she said.
Under the amended guidelines, the DOT only allows accommodation establishments to operate for staycations if they are “not concurrently being used as quarantine or isolation facilities for repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) or returning overseas Filipinos or as quarters for health workers.”
The DOT chief previously rejected any move by hotels or any other accommodation establishments to operate as a mix of “staycation” and quarantine facility due to the risks involved.
“If the accommodation establishment was previously utilized for these purposes or has previously accommodated guests who are COVID-19 positive, proof of sanitation and disinfection shall be submitted to the regional office concerned. Such proof may be in the form of logs, records, certification, or any other sufficient documentation by the in-house sanitation personnel of the accommodation establishment, or by outsourced third party cleaners,” the DOT added.
Only those hotels which have been granted with a four-or five-star rating and those with “Certificates of Authority to Operate for Staycations (CAOS) by the DOT are allowed to operate under the market trend.
These establishments must adhere to the guidelines on guest handling, including the maximum number of guests per room, as well as health and safety standards for ancillary establishments. They may also resume operations of ancillary facilities such as gyms, swimming pools, restaurants, and other food and beverage outlets, except for bars which remain prohibited in GCQ areas.
“As safety remains the DOT’s top priority, establishments that will offer staycation services will be strictly monitored. They will be required to keep a record of occupancy and submit it every 10th of the month to the relevant DOT regional office and local government unit (LGU) tourism office for data analysis purposes,” the tourism chief said.
Accommodation establishments are also required to “develop staycation packages that are appropriate for the present market demands and conditions." But the DOT said the offerings must strictly adhere to the existing health and safety guidelines of the department and will likewise be monitored by the concerned regional tourism office.
To promote minimal physical contact among staff and guests, contactless and cashless transactions for taking bookings and payments are also mandatory.
As prescribed by the guidelines, establishments must adhere to other issuances on health and safety standards from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) or Department of Health (DOH) as well as rules and regulations imposed by the LGU concerned.
“Violators shall suffer appropriate fines and fees, including the revocation of DOT accreditation,” Puyat said.
The tourism chief also issued a memorandum circular updating and harmonizing these guidelines with existing policies set by sector-relevant agencies and ensuring more adequate health and safety guidelines, especially for the operation of ancillary establishments within the accommodation establishments.
“Nothing beats restarting the tourism economy. We need to bring back jobs but with health and safety as priority,” she added.