DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 05 September) — At least 75 out of the 236 accommodation facilities in Davao City have reopened their doors this month after the Department of Tourism (DOT)-Davao issued them certificates to operate under a Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ).
Mayor Sara Duterte said over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) on Friday that these tourism establishments are allowed to host small gatherings, subject to the limitation of up to 50% of the total venue capacity as stated in the guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Davao Tourism Office head Generose Tecson. MindaNews file photo by ANTONIO L. COLINA IV
“As of now, at least 50% of the venue capacity is allowed. They need to get permits from the City Government of Davao and the venue inspected and accredited by the DOT,” she said.
As of September 3, the City Tourism Office (CTO) announced that DOT-Davao has already allowed 25 hotels; 45 inns, pension houses, motorist hotels, homestay, and vacation homes; three resorts; and two apartelles to resume operations.
The implementation of travel restrictions to curtail the transmission of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) took a heavy toll on Davao Region’s tourism sector, which recorded only 67,159 tourists in the second quarter of this year, or down by 1.2 million as compared to the same period of 2019, according to the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)-Davao.
City Tourism Officer Generose Tecson said more tourism establishments would reopen gradually under the new normal.
“Davao City is much affected by the pandemic, so is the rest of the world. I hope there will be steady reopening of the establishments under the new normal for the remainder of the year,” she added.
According to CTO, hotel establishments allowed to operate are Acacia Hotel, Apo View Hotel, Blue Lotus Hotel, Crevice Hotel, DusitD2 Davao Hotel, El Bajada Hotel, Grand Menseng Hotel, Go Hotels Davao, Inc., Green Banana Business Hotel, Home Crest Hotel, Hotel Tropika, Infinity Suites, Lispher Inn, Microtel by Wyndham Davao, Panorama Summit Hotel, Park Inn by Radisson Davao, Red Planet Hotels Davao Corporation, Ruemango Apartelle and Suites, Star Hotel, Seda Abreeza Hotel, The Madeline Boutique Hotel and Suites, The Ritz Hotel at Garden Oases, The Royal Mandaya Hotel, Sunny Point (Davao), Inc., and. Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao.
The inns allowed to operate are A Travellers Inn, Abi Yhors Inn, Amaranta Suites, Bababoom Inn, Big Ben Apartelle, Casa Munda Bed and Breakfast, Circle B Inn, City North Inn, Davao Airport View Hotel, Davao Obrero Suites, Domicilio Lorenzo Apartelle, Drive Park Inn, Emma Victoria’s Inn, Faircrown Realty Corporation, First Pacific Inn, Hotel Esse, Hotel Uno, Jade Dragon’s Suites, Jazzy James Country Hotel, JBQ Inn, Jotel Inn, Metropolis Suites Davao, Megiko Dormitel, Midori Inn, Metropolis Suites Davao, Mushroom Inn, My Hotel, Nath Fen Suites, Inc., Oyo 165 Circle B Apartelle and Suite, Palm Tree Residence, Peridot Suites, Princess Perrine Suites, Queen Karla’s Inn, Red Knight Gardens, RJEM Ventures (D’Garden Inn), Rhina Treasure’s Inn, Roadway Inn, Sumo Asia Hotel, Sun My Hotel, The Lanang Suites ,The Hotel Midori, Tinhat Boutique Hotel, Twin Teres Inn, The Strand Suites and Dormitel Inc., VBH Inn,and Vismin GV Hotel Inc.,
Also allowed to operate are Crown Regency Residences Davao, Eden Nature Park and Resort, Linmar Apartelle, Mamay Inn and Resort, and Villa Carmelita Resort.
The 22-year old Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City, Mindanao’s first and only five-star hotel, ceased operations “indefinitely” effective June 15,
Francis Ledesma, President of Halifax Davao Hotel, Inc., told MindaNews in May that the decision to stop operations was a “very difficult decision” but “we had to bite the bullet .. before we lose the capability of taking care of our own people.”
“We were just moving forward,” Ledesma recalled, “then came COVID-19.”
The closure rendered 270 workers jobless but they were all paid the benefits due them. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
