The city government of Makati on Thursday announced it will enforce a new policy regulating dine-in services at commercial food establishments whenever the city is under a state of calamity, public health emergency, or similar emergency declarations.
Mayor Abigail Binay said the City Council approved Ordinance No. 2020-165 to ensure the prevention, rapid containment, and restriction of the spread of infectious or communicable diseases, pandemics, epidemics, or outbreaks of diseases.
The policy will be implemented beginning Monday, August 31.
Binay said the local ordinance will serve as a guide in 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,” the city chief executive 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 to earn and survive a crisis, public health and safety must always prevail,” she added.
Under the ordinance, dine-in services are strictly prohibited when the city is placed under Enhanced Community Quarantine.
For Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine, a maximum of 30 percent of the dine-in services will be allowed subject to strict compliance with the minimum public health standards and social distancing protocols.
The maximum goes up to 50 percent under a General Community Quarantine, and 75 percent under a Modified General Community Quarantine.
The ordinance also provides additional safe dining guidelines, including the provision of rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizers for personnel, suppliers, and customers prior to entering the establishment.
The “no face mask, no entry” policy shall be strictly enforced, and thermal scanning of personnel, suppliers and customers prior to entry shall be done.
Persons with a temperature higher than 37.5 degrees Celsius shall not be allowed to enter, the ordinance adds.
Violators will be slapped with the following penalties: Temporary closure for three days and a fine of P5,000 on the first offense; P5,000 and temporary closure for one month on the second offense; and closure for a period of not more than a year and P5,000 or imprisonment for not more than a year, or both at the discretion of the court, on the third and succeeding offenses.
Under the ordinance, bars are not allowed to operate during times of emergency.
The ordinance provides that 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 a certain 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 or cocktail glasses.
Consumption of alcohol “in bulk”, “in pitchers”, “in buckets”, 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 food shall not be considered as dine-in meal that can be accompanied by alcoholic beverage, it adds.
Any person who will consume 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.
The ordinance imposes a fine of P5,000 on the first offense; P5,000 or imprisonment for not more than one month, or both on the second offense; and P5,000 or imprisonment for not more than a year, or both at the discretion of the court, on the third and succeeding offenses.
