MANILA, Philippines — The upcoming closure of the five-star Sofitel Philippine Pla za Manila hotel would be a “significant loss for the tourism industry,” the Department of Tourism (DOT) said on Monday.
Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco said this in a meeting with officials of the luxury hotel led by Esteban Peña Sy, president of the hotel’s owner Philippine Plaza Holdings Inc., at the DOT office.
The DOT was “very dismayed” upon learning that Sofitel would shut its doors to guests on July 1, according to a statement from the agency.
“We heard the news with much concern, especially that we view our hotel and accommodation sector as a critical component of the industry, especially now that we are making efforts to elevate the status of Philippine tourism vis-a-vis our ASEAN counterparts,” she said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Frasco agreed that the closure of the hotel would show that it “prioritizes worker and tourist safety as that is paramount over and above anything else.”
Peña Sy previously declared Sofitel had to be closed due to safety issues that included “27 fire incidents” and evacuation of its estimated 1,000 guests because of busted water pipes.
He also denied claims that among the factors for the shutdown we re lease agreements with the hotel’s landowner Government Service Insurance System and reclamation projects that blocked the hotel’s view of the Manila Bay sunset.
During the meeting, Frasco also assured it would “assist” displaced employees through job fairs to be held by the DOT’s Metro Manila office.
MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) intercepted a parcel containing scorpions and isopods bound for Mexico at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Tuesday.
The package, declared as a “tradi tional designed shoulder bag,” was shipped from Quezon City.
Upon inspection, the parcel was found to hold 23 large scorpions, 13 small scorpions and a container of isopods, an order of crustacean.
The attempt to smuggle the scorpions and isopods violates the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act and the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, the BOC said.
The parcel was turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for proper handling and safekeeping.
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) is set to look into the illegal posting of tobacco billboards and signages in stores.
Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said reports on such advertisements shall be endorsed to the local DOH office for inve stigation and appropriate action.
Domingo stressed that the DOH stands against the advertisement of tobacco products on billboards and signages in sari-sari stores.
“This stance aligns with Section 22 of Republic Act 9211, which prohibits all forms of tobacco advertising in mass media, with the exception of advertisements placed inside the premises of point-of-sale retail establishments,” he noted.
Violations of the law, he said, must be reported to the DOH.
Health Justice Inc. reported the proliferation of tobacco advertisements despite the ban on outdoor advertising.
Congress instituted the ban to prevent the youth from being exposed to tobacco marketing.
“We call on the Inter-agency Committee on Tobacco headed by the Department of Trade and Industry to enforce the ban and punish erring establishments,” Health Justice said.
MANILA, Philippines — Twin five-year-old girls died in a fire that broke out in their house in Tondo, Manila yesterday.
The girls were trapped in their room on the second floor of their hose at the corner of Yangco and Cavite streets in Gagalangin, according to radio reports.
Firefighters raised first alarm at 2:21 p.m. and were able to put out the blaze at 3:09 p.m.
The flames spread quickly because while the structure was built of concrete, its flooring and walls were wood, firefighters said.
The twins’ nanny told firefighters that she was unable to rescue her wards after she had gone to the house’s first-floor bathroom.
Manila fire marshal Sr. Supt. Christine Doctor-Cula told the twins’ mother, who came home from work, about the incident.
The Bureau of Fire Protection has yet to release an official report on the fire and conduct further investigation on its cause.