FUNDS to pay for the quarantine hotel stays of overseas Filipino workers returning from abroad are expected to run out by the end of the year, but hoteliers expressed optimism that the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) will honor the bookings.
In a news conference Tuesday, Philippine Hotel Owners Association President Arthur Lopez said, “There is an administrative problem with Owwa but they have been paying [us], and now they’ve been trying to catch up with the backlog of requirements to put together the checks. Of course, there are two or three hotels that have not received anything in the last maybe, two months. But we’re always in touch with Owwa administrator Hans Cacdac, who has been very, very supportive and very efficient, and he is really pushing his people to process the payments.”
He added, however, “They [Owwa] have money, but the budget is only until the end of the year. But I’m sure being election time, the politicians will not let the OFWs down because…that’s a very important sector in the election.” With the huge number of OFWs arriving, he added, “it’s very difficult for them [Owwa] to catch up in the processing of the checks,” even more so, he said this December, “when the volume of OFWs will double.”
He gave no indication how much exactly Owwa still owed the quarantine hotels, but in the past, the amounts reached as much as P241 million. (See, “Hotels may stop hosting OFWs on Owwa’s P241-million arrears,” in the BusinessMirror, November 4, 2020.)
‘Improve hotel ratings system’
PHOA is also working on a project to improve the current hotel-rating system of the government. “The key objective is to make sure our standards are globally competitive [and] internationally recognized,” according to PHOA Executive Director Benito C. Bengzon Jr, former Undersecretary for Tourism Development Planning at the Department of Tourism.
The hotel owners group has established a technical working group composed of “a group of experts with many, many years of experience in [hotel] operations,” he added, to study the matter and put together their recommendations.
Lopez underscored the importance and practicality of benchmarking the country’s hotel ratings with other countries, “that will easily be understood by consumers.” He added, “I’m not saying anything against the [DOT’s] star rating, but we need to improve on it…. And our role is to present it to the DOT for their consideration. If they want to use it, we’ll be very happy. If not, then we start all over.”
He noted that in most countries, the private sector accords the ratings of hotels, not the government. Under the DOT’s star-rating system, private consultants are employed to assess the establishments applying for accreditation. A number of hotels have complained in the past, however, about the alleged arbitrariness of the ratings.
Founded in 1977, PHOA has 308 members nationwide.
Travel deals for ‘balikbayans’
Meanwhile, balikbayans (homecoming Filipinos) can get discounts of as much as 50 percent on hotel resort rates on balikan.ph, DOT’s one-stop shop for promos.
The web site is under the “Balikan ang Pilipinas” campaign of the DOT to encourage overseas Filipinos and OFWs to come home for the holidays to rediscover the Philippines with their loved ones, according to a news statement from the agency.
“Through the balikan.ph we can offer great travel deals from airlines and DOT-accredited hotels, resorts, and tour operators to our balikbayans and their families. This is one way to make their visit here more affordable and fun, especially after a long separation caused by the pandemic,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat.
The web site aggregates all information on travel promotions and packages offered by airlines, hotels, tour operators and the like. Balikbayans are encouraged to regularly check the site for updated list and details of travel deals. The DOT campaign will run until March 2022.
