By John Clifford Lintao
THE Department of Tourism is looking at the possibility of slapping sanctions to resorts found to have violated community quarantine protocols amid viral photos of a large group gathering in a Batangas resort.
DOT also hinted at legal actions over the proliferation of fake COVID-19 test results, citing reports that many tourists in Boracay were found to have presented and used them to gain entry in the island paradise.
In a statement, the DOT condemned a “reckless” social gathering at a resort in the coastal town of San Juan, Batangas, citing a video that caught a large group of people partying without face masks and face shields while also disregarding physical distancing.
The mass gathering at a resort in Barangay Laiya on Dec. 7 violated guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) for areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ), it added.
The local government unit (LGU) has revoked the resort’s business permit and filing charges against its management even before the DOT was made aware about it. The same resort was earlier suspended in September for also breaching government’s protocols.
In response to the incident, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat warned anew accommodation and tourism establishments that have reopened and reminded them to follow health protocols all the time. Violators may face criminal charges and will also be sanctioned by the DOT.
As for the fake COVID-19 test results, the DOT issued a separate statement condemning tourists who allegedly brought fake COVID-19 test results to enter the island of Boracay.
Six tourists were taken into custody Monday evening after only one of them had genuine coronavirus test results.
“The DOT commends the swift action of the Aklan provincial police in dealing with the suspects. Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said that similar malicious actions will not be condoned as they undermine the collaborative efforts at protecting and reviving Boracay tourism,” the agency said.
“The tourism chief further urges the stakeholders and visitors alike to keep the country’s banner destination COVID-19 free by strictly adhering to the health and safety protocols,” it said.
The DOT earlier partnered with the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) to partially bankroll RT-PCR tests worth P1,800 which are required for tourists to take before entering Boracay.
In November, the agency denounced a Halloween party in Boracay over alleged violations of health protocols.
The event organizers were slapped with a P5,000 fine while two foreigners who donned Philippine National Police uniforms as costumes were also penalized.