The Department of Trade and Industry-Davao City (DTI-Davao City) said on Friday it will voluntarily take part in the monitoring team to oversee compliance to the alcohol serving restrictions in establishments.
Although law enforcement is not part of its mandate, DTI is willing to assist in enforcing the two-serving limit following the recent lifting of the liquor ban in the city.
“Hope mu-comply gyud ta sa two bottles per serving and we will be banking on good practices compliance ng mga owners of these establishments. To strictly enforce that, it is the responsibility of the task force that is composed of various agencies that include the local government unit. Kung kami i-enjoin nila to do the monitoring, then we will cooperate and participate,” said Rachel Remitio, director of DTI-Davao City in an interview.
DTI was given authority by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to issue a negative list of industries which shall remain prohibited even in areas under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ). MGCQ is currently the community quarantine classification with the lowest risk in terms of the threat posed by Covid-19.
Based on the DTI Memorandum Circular No. 20-44, the following business establishments or activities included in the negative list and are not be allowed to operate under any form of community quarantine are: holding of traditional cockfighting and operation of cockpits; Beerhouses & similar establishments whose primary business is serving of alcoholic drinks; and kid amusement industries such as playrooms and rides.
“The focus of our monitoring is on salons, barbershops and restaurants,” Remitio said.
Meanwhile, the city government of Davao has imposed a ‘one strike rule’ on establishments caught violating the rule on serving alcoholic drinks and ordered the Vices Regulation Unit and barangay officials to monitor establishments for violations of the Executive Order 50-A particularly on the serving quantities of alcoholic and intoxicating drinks.
The VRU and the Barangay Council will conduct vigorous surveillance of all restaurants, fastfood, sari-sari stores, and other establishments covered by the EO and must move for the closure of an establishment after a single violation is properly documented.
Under the new guidelines, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio clarified the definition of “Serving” as the quantity of item served to one customer.
Based on the guidelines, Dabawenyos and business establishments are allowed the selling and serving alcoholic and intoxicating drinks as follows: beer, two bottles/cans, provided that one bottle/can is not more than 400ml; cocktail (mixed drink), two shots/orders of the cocktail, provided that, one shot/order shall not be more than 200ml; liquor (hard drink) and all other drinks with alcohol, two shots/order of the liquor or alcohol drink provided that, one shot/order should not be more than 100ml.
The guidelines also state that beyond the maximum volume of two serving/order/shots per customer shall not be more than 800ml for beers, 400ml for cocktails, and 200ml for liquor and all other drinks with alcohol.
Other establishments whose names include the word “bar” but the primary business is not serving liquor such as videoke bars, restaurant bars, etc. are allowed to open, however, are also subject to the serving limit by the DTI and Section 5 of the EO.
There is no limit to the selling of beer and liquor in wholesale establishments, sari-sari stores, groceries, supermarkets, and other similar establishments and the selling of beer or liquor for take-home/take-out, or home delivery.
The guidelines also reminded sari-sari stores that, although, they are allowed to sell beer and other alcoholic drinks, they cannot serve these within their premises to avoid mass gatherings. They are also prohibited from allowing people to converge, to have liquor drinking sessions (inuman/shotting), conduct meetings and discussions or stand-by within, in front, or around their premises.
