BARILI, Cebu — The curfew hours in areas under Cebu province may be pushed back to midnight soon, to align with a recent circular from the Department of Trade and Industry.
The DTI Memorandum Circular 20-39 covers the new guidelines for the operation of dine-in establishments.
Under the circular, restaurant and fast-food businesses are allowed to operate until 11 p.m.
“Thus, LGUs are enjoined to adjust curfew hours up to 12 midnight to allow greater daily turnover of dine-in services and enhance income opportunities for workers,” the circular read.
Read more: DTI: Restaurants’ dine-in capacity to further expand, LGUs encouraged to move curfew time
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said she had instructed her chief of staff, lawyer Frank Eduard Dinsay V, to go over the guidelines in order for her to issue a corresponding executive order adopting the new set of guidelines.
At present, the curfew hours in the towns and cities under Cebu province starts at 10 p.m. and ends at 5 a.m. the next day.
Garcia, in a press conference in Barili town this Monday, July 20, said the move would be of help to the food industry and its workers after months of not being able to operate their dine-in services.
Aside from the extended curfew hours, the DTI circular also directs that beginning July 21, the operating capacity of the restaurants will be increased to 75 percent from currently at 50 percent for areas under a modified general community quarantine like most parts of Cebu province.
Families living in one residence, under the amended DTI guidelines, will also be allowed to dine in one table provided that they have proof that they live in once address./dbs