The Department of Tourism (DOT) is currently looking at other hotels that are allegedly offering "absentee quarantine" packages, after two returning overseas Filipinos were able to skip the mandatory isolation.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the Department has so far obtained the names of at least three hotels that were allegedly allowing travelers to skip quarantine protocols.

"We've been hearing of a modus operandi na babayaran lang tapos magpapakita ang on the fifth day ng swab (the traveler only have to pay and can just show up on the fifth day for swab test) because if you're fully vaccinated you'll get swabbed on the fifth day," Puyat shared.

The DOT chief said while the majority of the quarantine hotels are compliant with the protocols, there really are just a "few bad eggs" in the industry.

"There are only a few hotels. Ang na-identify pa lang ay (We have so far identified) two to three hotels," she added.

Puyat said they already gave the details to the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police, and the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) for immediate action.

"I think it is best to really catch them in action because they would always just deny," she added.

Two returning overseas Filipinos were already confirmed to have been able to skip quarantine protocols after arriving from the United States.

The first traveler was identified as Gwyneth Chua who attended a party in Poblacion, Makati despite being in isolation. She later turned out to be COVID positive and those who came in close contact with her have also been infected.

The second woman, whose identity was not yet disclosed, reportedly went straight to her condominium unit after arriving at the airport, took a message, and even shared it on social media.

According to Puyat, they have been receiving reports on this scheme prior to these incidents but this was the first time that names were revealed.

"We've been receiving news but whenever we ask for names, they would always say na ayaw nila magbigay ng pangalan (they don't want to give names). This was the first time that names were given," she added.

The Department already issued a show cause order against Berjaya Makati Hotel regarding Chua's quarantine protocol breach and is now waiting for their reply.

In a statement on Jan. 1, the Berjaya confirmed the reports and apologized for “failing to stop the guest from jumping her quarantine.”

“This was the only incident of its kind in the nearly two years that we have served as a quarantine hotel, and we will make sure that it is the last,” it added.

The management also assured that any employee found to be involved in the issue will be “dealt with severely.”