The manager of Island City Mall (ICM) says that mall management is not
allowing and has not been allowing patrons to dine in at the food places
and restaurants inside the mall. The “no dine in” policy includes the open
space, where tables & chairs were arranged for customers to occupy while
waiting for their orders.
This was the statement of ICM mall manager Mario Cirujales in an
interview on Thursday, over the “Newsmakers ug Uban Pa” radio program
anchored by Ardy Araneta Batoy, Gloria Leodivica Araneta & Chandymar
Araneta Batoy.
“Since the start of the community quarantine, the mall has been abiding by
the ‘no dine in’ policy, ” Cirujales said.
Cirujales added that since the start of the Community Quarantine, the mall
has disallowed restaurant patrons to dine in any restaurant in the mall and
allowed only take out orders.
The mall management noticed that as the customers receive their food
orders from food chains, they would proceed to any part of the mall, even
on the stairs, to eat their food.
The mall management was even accused as being inhuman by some
critics who saw the customers bringing their “supot” of food anywhere in
order to eat.
So, the mall management decided to out up small tables for the comfort of
the customers during eating time seeing to it that these tables were so
arranged that physical/social distancing rules were still observed.
“It was an unbearable sight for us to witness the customers eating their
food on the floor and on the steps of stairs to satisfy their hunger and
quench their thirst,” Cirujales stressed.
Cirujales explained that the sudden influx of people in the city caused the
shortage of seats in the mall, which led some customers to eat their food
almost anywhere inside the mall with some eating food while sitting on the
staircase and even on the floor,” Cirujales continued.
Cirujales stressed by saying that ICM management never allowed people
to dine in. The small tables were placed on an open space and not inside a
restaurant where each small table was provided with only one chair to
ensure that nobody sits near another person while eating.
Cirujales also said there are police officers that continue to monitor the
condition and activities inside the mall. Cirujales also bared that he is
always making sure that people inside the mall always practice social
distancing per observation of the police.
In fact, according to Cirujales, the police officers did not call the attention of
the mall management for any violation which they are accused of having
violated.
In order to dispel any doubts, the mall management decided to clear the
mall of tables being used by patrons to put their food on as the latter eat
while waiting for their business in the mall to be done.
Cirujales said critics should have observed how the mall is being run before
making ang comments especially on social media. Cirujales was a little
dismayed especially with one writer calling the mall management as:
“hanggaw” for allegedly violating the “no dine in” policy.