Quezon City to conduct surprise checks on restaurants

MANILA, Philippines – The Quezon City government said yesterday it will conduct continued surprise inspections of restaurants and other food establishments in preparation for the increased seating capacity for dine-in operations.

Mayor Joy Belmonte said city hall authorities have been conducting weekly on-the-spot inspections of various food establishments since June 30 in a bid to ensure compliance with the dine-in guidelines issued by national and local governments.

As of July 15, 37 restaurants and food establishments have been inspected by the city government.

“Dine-in restaurants, fast-food chains, and other food businesses are regularly monitored by our team to ensure they are abiding by the guidelines that will help protect their customers and staff,” Belmonte said in a statement.

Beginning July 21, food establishments and restaurants in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) will be allowed to increase their seating capacity to 50 percent, as announced by the Department of Trade and Industry.

The city government said it was also set to re-inspect 23 establishments after they were found to have failed to comply with several protocols such as the use of thermal scanners, logbooks for contact tracing and markers and signages for physical distancing, among others.

Tourism department action officer Tetta Tirona explained that while all businesses were ready to follow guidelines, they have to be constantly reminded of the specifics.

The city government stressed that establishments caught violating the guidelines may be charged under Section 9 of Republic Act 11332, which penalizes the non-cooperation of persons or entities affected by a health event of public concern.