DOT, DILG, LGUs issue over 60,000 safety seals to establishments

(FILE) San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora, leads the awarding of safety seal to Vmall in San Juan City on Friday, June 11. The safety seals are issued by the LGU to establishments complying with safety and health protocols. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and various local government units (LGUs) have issued over 60,000 safety seals to ensure that establishments are complying with health standards against COVID-19.

DOT Director for Tourism Standards and Regulation Virgilio Maguigad said Thursday the agency has so far released 1,582 safety seals for tourism enterprises out of 1,612 that have applied.

Thirty applications are still being processed or are under evaluation.

“These particular certificates have been given to establishments like hotels, restaurants within these hotels, meeting facilities, etc. There are just 30 applications in process for evaluation,” he said in an online media forum organized by the Department of Health.

Meanwhile, the DILG has so far approved 19,092 applications for safety seals, while LGUs have approved 40,047 applications.

The DILG has denied or referred 7,653 out of 42,548 total applications, while LGUs have denied or referred 454 out of 57,217 applications.

Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya encouraged the managements of establishments to apply for safety seals.

“Though it is not mandatory, it is highly encouraged since it will help them assure their consumers and themselves that they are compliant with minimum public health standards set by the government,” he said in the same forum.

The Safety Seal Certification Program is a voluntary certification scheme that affirms an establishment’s compliance with the minimum public health standards set by the government and integrates its contact tracing efforts with StaySafe.ph.

Aside from the DOT and DILG, there are also different issuing authorities for the safety seal depending on the nature of the establishment.

The safety seal, given for free, is valid for six months, except for those issued to tourism enterprises that are valid for one year.

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/MUF