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We’re still in a good situation right now,” said OCTA fellow Guido David in an interview with The Chiefs over Cignal TV’s One News on Monday, as quoted by the Philippine Star. He was referring to Metro Manila maintaining the “low risk” classification despite the rise in the number of COVID cases in National Capital Region (NCR) since last week.

He added, “Definitely, we are seeing an uptick… But I have to remind everyone that this is the same thing that we saw last year… The risk level in NCR is still at low risk, compared to last year when we were at moderate risk.” He also noted there were no indications that the increase in new cases of late was caused by the Omicron variant.

From “very low risk” in early December, OCTA said Metro Manila may now be considered “low risk” given the rising number of COVID cases. Also “low risk” were Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Mandaluyong, and Makati. Still classified “very low risk” were Pateros, Valenzuela, Quezon City, Pasig, and Taguig. But Manila and San Juan were raised to “moderate risk.”

The rising number of cases is not surprising, considering how people have been actively moving about and socializing during the holidays. Even vaccination sites, at least in Makati City, were swamped days before and after Christmas, after the government shortened the waiting period for booster shots to three from six months.

Vehicular traffic since early December also indicated a significant increase in movement. And, judging from postings on social media, a lot of people have also been travelling, either around the country or to and from abroad. Popular local destinations like Tagaytay City, Baguio City, and Boracay have been swamped by tourists.

Business and leisure travel have been changed significantly by the pandemic. Health protocols have been in place since 2020, and continue to change per country depending on severity of their COVID situation. But despite all the hassles of testing and quarantine and other health protocols related to foreign travel, I know of people who still insist on travelling to Europe and the United States for leisure since late November, also despite the threat of Omicron.

I have not travelled since late 2019, and do not foresee myself going anywhere outside the country until perhaps late 2023. And the farthest I have gone outside Metro Manila in the last two years is to the house in Tagaytay City, and not once have I ventured to eat out while up there. A trip up north has been planned for early next year, but will proceed only if COVID will remain under control.

I still refuse to travel by any public conveyance, at this point. And while I limit myself to the use of personal transportation, my desire to travel is also tempered by board and lodging considerations. I prefer not to sleep or eat in any “public” accommodation. Perhaps I am being overly cautious, but given my comorbidities, I prefer to err on the side of caution.

And this is why, to some extent, the idea of some hotels going ClayGo, or Clean as You Go, appeals to me. My family is used to doing things on its own, anyway. We clean our own house, cook our own food, wash our own dishes and clothes, and drive ourselves to get around. I do not see any reason why we can’t do the same when we travel, especially with the COVID threat. In fact, we have a preference for self-service accommodations.

To an extent, Airbnb appealed to a lot of travelers because of the autonomy and the privacy it provides them. Airbnb arrangements also did away with a lot of the overhead costs involved in hotel operations, and allowed property owners to rent out comfortable accommodations at relatively lower costs. In the present situation, however, there is now greater burden – and expense – even for property owners to assure renters that properties are properly “sanitized” and made safe from COVID.

But given labor issues, higher operating costs, and lower demand jeopardizing a lot of hotel operations worldwide, I wouldn’t be surprised if many of the hotel chains opt for self-service or “clean as you go” arrangements. Even before COVID, some hotels we had booked online already charged lower rates if we opted to skip housekeeping services. I found this to be a good deal when moving around, especially for rooms that we intend to use for only one or two nights.

The burden of ensuring cleanliness and hygiene shifts to the customer, who in all probability spends a lot more time outside the room than in it. For those who are used to picking up after themselves anyway, this is not a problem. It is no different from putting your own dishes back on the tray and bussing out your own table, as we usually do when we eat during travel.

As long as a hotel can offer safe, secure, and comfortable lodging that is sufficiently sanitized after every departure, and where staff and guests strictly follow health protocols, then “clean as you go” can be an acceptable option. Tradeoff is the price, of course. Quality hotels need not be expensive, especially if the service is limited.

Frankly, I will feel more secure and safe if my family and I are the only ones allowed in our room during our stay. And I wouldn’t mind if the hotel later opts to charge us extra if we end up excessively dirtying or soiling the room during our stay. Paying for a room doesn’t give the guest the right or the privilege to dirty it unnecessarily.

But Clean as You Go works only with the assumption that guests can pick up after themselves, and have enough decency and respect for others to be as orderly as possible. Some people will feel it is beneath them to fix their own bed, clean their own toilet and bath, or bus out their own tables. While they can always go to hotels that charge more for that service, some will choose to travel cheap, then complain later on about lack of service. This will be a challenge.

Simply put, in today’s world, the customer is not always right. And businesses need to adjust to circumstances to stay alive. In my opinion, sometimes no service is better than poor service. I would rather put up with self-service than having to pay for poor and unsafe service that cannot consistently meet the demands of customers. I prefer to fix my own bed than be served by sick staff who won’t skip work just to keep their jobs.

 

Marvin Tort is a former managing editor of BusinessWorld, and a former chairman of the Philippine Press Council

matort@yahoo.com