FOR breaching health protocols, five establishments in Cebu City were given notices of warning by the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO).
The BPLO issued the warnings on Thursday, June 10, 2021.
BPLO head Jared Limquiaco said the five establishments failed to meet the social distancing requirement to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19.
A warning notice means that if the involved establishment violates the health protocols again, stricter penalties, such as suspension of special permit, would be imposed.
Limquiaco said if another breach of health protocols would happen again, the establishment would lose its special permit and it could no longer serve liquor for the whole duration of community quarantine.
The five establishments are out of the more than 10 establishments that have been issued show cause orders over the past weeks to explain their transgressions.
Limquiaco said the capacity of the five establishments have been lowered to 100 from the original 150.
The area of one of the five establishments is an open space, but the only problem for the place is when it rains—customers would gather in the covered area, Limquiaco said.
The bar, which has an open space, asked the BPLO if it can present a proposal to maintain its allowed capacity of more than 100. Limquiaco said the bar operators will present their proposal next week.
Meanwhile, the Club Holic management clarified that they only opened last May 14 since the Covid-19 pandemic hit Cebu City.
The establishment acquired its special permit to serve liquor last May 7.
The Club Holic said it did not open in October 2020, clarifying what SunStar Cebu had reported on its Facebook page last June 9 that there were foreigners arrested in such a bar last year.
Last May, a video taken at Club Holic made rounds online for showing a “disco” event. The owners clarified that no disco or any dancing happened.
The Club Holic voluntarily closed for a few days to revise its setup, which was later approved by the BPLO and Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
Limquiaco said Club Holic was not included in the list of establishments that received warning notices, adding that the authorities only asked it to change its setup.
As the rainy season has started, Limquiaco asked the establishments, especially those that have open spaces, to come up with measures to prevent a gathering of crowd in case it would rain.
BPLO marshals are monitoring the establishments to prevent any health protocol violation. (JJL)