DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 23 Sep) – Any business establishments caught violating the regulations on the selling of liquors will be shut down as the local government of Davao enforced a stricter “one-strike rule” to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) following the lifting of the 24/7 ban on alcoholic beverages after nearly six months.
In her Executive Order 50-A issued on Tuesday, Mayor Sara Duterte said that the Vices Regulation Unit (VRU) of the city government and barangay officials have been tasked to monitor the compliance of all restaurants, fastfood, sari-sari stores, and other establishments with the additional guidelines on the lifting of the liquor ban in the city.
She said the local government would close erring establishments after a single violation is properly documented.
After the lifting of the restriction, “restaurant and fastfood businesses” are allowed to serve two individual “servings” of alcohol per customer.
But beer houses and other similar establishments whose primary business is serving of alcoholic drinks, including nightclubs, bars, and beer garden, are not allowed to operate under any form of community quarantine, pursuant to Section 4 of the Department of Trade and Industry Memorandum Circular No. 20-44.
According to Section 5 of the EO 50-A, Duterte said the “serving” is defined as the quantity of item served to one customer.
It said that customers can buy two bottles or cans of beers, provided that one bottle or can is not more than 400 milliliters (ml); customers are allowed to buy two shots or orders of cocktails and all other drinks with alcohol, provided one shot or order is not more than 200ml; and two shots or orders for hard drinks, provided that one shot is not more than 100ml for hard drinks.
It added that two servings per customer should not exceed 800ml for beers, 400ml for cocktails, and 200ml for hard drinks.
The order also states that other establishments whose names include the word “bar” but the primary business is not serving liquor, including, among others, videoke bars and restaurant bars, are allowed to open, and are subject to the serving limit of alcohols.
It added 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.
But Duterte said that sari-sari stores could not serve alcoholic beverages and must prohibit gathering of people within their premises.
Duterte reminded the public to observe the basic health protocols despite the easing of restrictions amid the pandemic, and warned them not to invite their friends to their houses for a drink to avoid contracting the disease. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)