‘Still safe and sound,’ DOT, hoteliers assure Iloilo guests amid hotel murder shocker
An isolated case. As such, no cause for alarm and the city’s guests? Still safe and sound.
Shared sentiments of two executives from two top hotels in Iloilo and the region’s assistant regional director of the Department of Tourism (DOT).
With Tuesday’s murder and robbery yet to be resolved, hoteliers Robert Ferrer and Scott Sarria joined DOT’s Helen Katalbas in assuring the public’s safety.
Ferrer who marks his 23rd year in the hotel industry is the current vice president of the Iloilo Hotels Resorts and Restaurants Association (IHRA) and resident manager of Sarabia Manor Hotel and Convention Center.
Sarabia Manor is categorized by the DOT as a “First Class” hotel, a distinction shared with two other city hotels.
“Our primary concern along with the comfort of our guests is their safety. We have a standard adopted by the association but each hotel has their own set of security system in place. We give this assurance to the public especially our guests that we prioritize that in Sarabia Manor and we hope that the crime that happened at the Eon Centennial will be resolved soon,” Ferrer said.
Sarria for his part spoke of safety and protection as well of hotel guests at The Days Hotel as he disclosed the compliance of a Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) system here.
Sarria is also an officer of the IHRRA and the Iloilo Convention and Visitors Bureau (ICVB).
“Thankfully we have no problem at all in terms of breach of security… we have our CCTV in place both for the protection of our guests and our staff. Both ways – they feel safer and protected but the CCTV is only in designated areas like the front desk and the lobby. Our hallways and the top floor where the rooms are, we have our roving guards on a 24/7 duty and we have hotel rules and regulations for our guests,” Sarria said.
Similar to both top hotels is that by 10 p.m., non-hotel guests still in the premises or in the rooms must be registered. The practice is also supposedly in place at the Eon Centennial Hotel however no record was made on the visitor/s turned killer/s of murdered hotel guest Epi Ramos.
Similar stance of Atty. Helen Katalbas, DOT assistant regional manager, who told The News Today (TNT) that she is saddened and shocked by the latest hotel murder.
Katalbas said security of the guests is also a Tourism thrust particularly since in Western Visayas, peace and order is not only a tourism component but has become an “attraction.”
“I do not see the Eon Centennial Hotel incident as a direct attack to our tourism industry but admittedly, it will affect the impression on us… you know I take pride on the fact that peace and order is an attraction here..so I hope that it will be solved soon,” Katalbas said.
As for talks of CCTV as integral part of the hotel security, Katalbas replied, “if the hotel can afford it, it is a must really but only on designated areas.”
To date, Eon Centennial Plaza Hotel has yet to get the DOT nod with the hotel’s accreditation expired back in April of last year still.
“Under process,” said Katalbas when asked on Eon Centennial Hotel’s DOT status. “It was already re-inspected but no accreditation as of yet because they are still undergoing renovations.”
Katalbas clarified though that no legal infirmities are present with the hotel’s operations even if it is not DOT accredited.
What it simply meant, Katalbas explained, was that to date, and since its accreditation expiry in April of 2008, the management has yet to secure the DOT latest nod.
DOT accreditation is not mandatory too, she added.