Ayala Center Cebu on Wednesday, November 24, 2021, gives a preview of their preparations for the reopening of their cinemas as the government has allowed theaters to reopen nearly two years after the pandemic forced them to temporarily close. CDN Digital Photo | Morexette Marie Erram
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Several major cinemas in Cebu are set to reopen, nearly two years after the Covid-19 pandemic forced them to temporarily close.
Ayala Center Cebu, on November 24, announced to the public that they will be reopening Cinemas 4 and 5 on December 1.
The mall management also gave members of the media a preview of their preparations for movie showings under the ‘new normal.’
In compliance with existing health protocols, several guidelines and restrictions will be imposed inside theaters.
These included mandatory wearing of face masks, capping the capacity of each cinema at a maximum of 30 percent only – which meant that only around 120 moviegoers are allowed.
In addition, only fully vaccinated individuals will be allowed to enter the theaters, and vaccination cards, as well as valid IDs, should be presented upon entry.
The mall has also introduced restrictions as part of their safety measures such as banning foods and drinks inside, and that moviegoers will be seating at least two seats apart.
Cinema 4 and Cinema 5 will only be open from Wednesday to Sunday.
Jia Sadol, General Manager of Ayala Center Cebu, said they will announce their movie schedule and line-up soon.
Sadol also said that the selling of tickets will still be done in their ticket booths, and the mall will be announcing further updates on their ticketing system soon.
Meanwhile, the management urged the public to always observe minimum health standards once they reopen their cinemas this December.
“The cinemas and entertainment, in general, are part of the overall experience in going to the mall. And we know we’ve missed it. All of us miss it. Let’s all just be safe in coming here para tuloy-tuloy ang improvement and ang pagopen,” said Sadol.
“We’re excited and looking forward to having everyone again,” she added.
The city government has given the go-signal to reopen at least five cinemas here.
Under the guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF), movie theaters may be allowed to resume their operations in areas under Alert Level 2 such as Cebu City.
Aside from Ayala Center Cebu, the local government has also permitted selected cinemas in SM Seaside Cebu and Ayala Central Bloc to reopen.
/bmjo
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