MANILA, Philippines --- Hotels in general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ areas are now allowed to operate at their full capacity, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said Wednesday.

In a statement, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat noted that "the decision to open at 100% operational capacity will be subject to the hotel management's decision and compliance with the safety guidelines."

Puyat said the DOT will soon issue the guidelines for the expanded operational capacity of hotels.

The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, in an earlier resolution, gave the DOT the authority to calibrate the operations of accommodation establishments.

Previously, hotels were only allowed to operate with a skeleton workforce.

"Also approved in the said resolution is the easing up of interzonal and intrazonal movement, which is the predicate to reviving domestic tourism," Puyat said.

"Along with this comes the need to ready the whole tourism value chain, which includes the accommodation, transportation, and tour operation sectors. Allowing the accommodation sector to operate at full capacity will be most welcomed by tourism's workforce that has been greatly affected since the community lockdown," she added.

/MUF