27/08/2020
The Cebu Provincial Tourism Task Force is implementing a new set of requirements and procedures for hotels, resorts and other homestay establishments opening doors in the Province which is under the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ).
According to Provincial Tourism Officer Maria Lester Ybañez, accommodation establishments will need to apply first for a Certificate of Authority to Operate (CAO) or a Provincial Certificate of Authority to Operate (PCAO) at the Department of Tourism.
The certificate is free and can be applied online.
Next, establishments must apply for a special mayor’s permit to operate from the local government unit (LGU).
Once these two certificates are complied with, the local tourism office will conduct an initial inspection to the site or the attraction.
It will then submit a photo documentation of the inspection and a letter requesting the Provincial Tourism Task Force-TWG for a site inspection, along with the endorsement of the establishment’s complied certificates.
“Aside sa among check-up for the COC (Certificate of Compliance), the rest of the Task Force can also have their own spot check after the issuance na aron makita nga gi-maintan. So naa tay check-up nga dili mi magpahibalo,” Ybañez said.
The Task Force will then conduct a site visit to check whether the establishment has strictly followed the health standards stipulated under Executive Order 20-A.
Once it passes the inspection, the Tourism Task Force will then issue the COC.
For tour transport operators, they are required to get a certification from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) or the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) if it is a motorbanca for the special permit to operate.
Once the LTFRB or MARINA is acquired, the operator will then apply for a special permit to operate from the LGU.
The LGU will then endorse the documents to the Provincial Task Force-TWG for site verification and processing. The same procedure shall apply for motorized bancas where the Task Force will issue a COC before the vessel will be allowed to operate. (Vanessa L. Almeda with Paula Mendoza)
The Cebu Provincial Tourism Task Force releases new set of requirements for hotels, resorts and other homestay establishments as well as tour operators who want to operate in Cebu Province under MGCQ. (Junjie Mendoza)