Davao City eases ban on liquor, lifts curfew

BEATING THE CLOCK A lone motorcycle rider drives through a major highway just an hour before the 9 p.m. curfew in Davao City. —KARLOS MANLUPIG

DAVAO CITY. Davao del Sur, Philippines — The strict liquor ban in the city has been eased by the local government beginning on Tuesday.

Mayor Sara Duterte said on Monday that the 24-hour ban on the selling of alcoholic beverages has been modified to cover only the hours between 1 a.m. to 8 a.m., allowing the sale of liquor at other hours of the day.

But the mayor doused celebratory cheers by liquor drinkers by saying that consumption of all alcoholic beverages in public places remained prohibited.Duterte explained that the public could now buy alcohol but they should consume it in the privacy of their homes and other private spaces. She reminded everyone that health standards should at all times be observed especially during the holiday celebrations.

“Alcohol may only be served and consumed in private properties,” the mayor said in reference to Executive Order No. 59.Establishments such as bars, restaurants and “sari-sari” stores are still forbidden to serve alcoholic drinks to their customers, which will be implemented strictly by the local government and law enforcers, she stressed.

The modified liquor ban will be effective from Oct. 26 until Jan. 15 next year, Duterte said.

To further ease the restrictions, the city government also lifted the 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew, also starting on Oct. 26, allowing more mobility for residents and visitors in the city.

She said the local government intended to slowly reopen the city while continuing to limit mass gatherings.

Conditions

But the city government would revert to stricter rules if the lifting of restrictions would cause another surge in COVID-19 cases in the city, she added.“If any time we can experience massive surge, we will again modify the liquor ban and curfew,” she said.

The city government decided to ease the rules on curfew and the ban on liquor after noting the reduction in the number of COVID-19 cases in the city.

Of the 138 new COVID-19 cases that the Department of Health monitored in the entire Davao region on Sunday, only 49 were in the city.