The City Council approved the request of restaurant owners in Puerto Princesa City to allow them to serve alcohol and adjust the curfew hours, City Councilor Matthew “Matt” Mendoza said on Tuesday, August 10.
According to Councilor Mendoza, the City Council has favored them because they are tax payers and have staffs who depend on their businesses for a living.
“Pero sa City Council pa lang nagbigay na ng limit na ‘yung mga restaurant lang at hindi kasama ang mga painuman, ang mga KTV Bar… ganun, at hindi magse-serve ng ibang liquor or alcohol… beer or wine lang ang pwede,” said Councilor Mendoza.
The petition letter includes the adjustment of the curfew hours from 12:00 midnight to 5:00am and the limitation of the sale of alcoholic beverages until 11:00pm.
Mendoza added that they have already endorsed it through a resolution to the Local Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) which will decide whether or not to grant the request of the restaurant owners as previously discussed in the Council.
Mendoza also said that there is also a resolution addressed to the Office of the Mayor to study all possibilities and consider their requests as the letter of the business owners in the city stated the hardship of the restaurant owners and that “We are dying”, referring to their business that is going bankrupt.
The said group of businesses promised to continue to enforce health and safety protocols in their establishments.
“In order to safety transition to the removal of the liquor ban, local authorities should carry on in enforcing its already-existent practices. The local community, businesses and consumer alike, have already established habitual behaviors towards safety. Continuity of these practices and regulations would ensure that safety is still top-of-mind,” as stated on their petition letter.
Currently, the City continues to enforce the liquor ban and Curfew Hours from 10:00pm-5:00am under the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) classification. Aa