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DOT GRANTS CROSSROADS HOSTEL MANILA ACCREDITATION RENEWAL

shows the owner posing in front of the DOT logo and the certificatekuwadrodigital

THE DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM granted Crossroads Hostel Manila accreditation to operate as a duly recognizeo Mabuhay accommodation until October 31, 2024. This is the fifth accreditation the tourism bureau gave the hostel for as long as the hostel open back in 2014. Crossroads Hostel first received its accreditation in 2016 and it helped the hostel tremendously especially during the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hostel didn’t close its doors because it is one of the few accredited properties recognized by the Tourism Department back in March 17 2020 called upon by the national government to continue accepting visitors and use it as a quarantine location. The hostel used its badge in a different way. During the lockdown, it helped essential businesses in the private sector to continue operating such as the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry. Crossroads Hostel continued to provide accommodation to key member staff and it worked well until such time when Work from Home was encouraged.

According to DOT’s website, accreditation by the Tourism government agency would give the following benefits:

  • Endorsement to COMELEC for exemption from liquor ban during election-related events*.
  • Endorsement to embassies and travel trade association for utilization of establishment’s facilities and services.
  • Being prioritized for DOT training programs
  • Endorsement to internation and domestive airports (if appropriate) for Issuance of Access Pass to Qualified Personnel**.
  • Qualification for Exemption from the United Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) of the Metro Manila Development authority (MMDA)***.
  • Endorsement to Land Transportation Franchising and regulatory Board (LTFRB) for Issuance of Tourist Transport Franchise***. Technical / Security / Facilitation Support or assistance.

*For accommodation establishments and restaurants only.

**For Tour Operators and Accommodation Establishments only.

***For tourist Land Transport Vehicles only.

Because of such benefits, Crossroads Hostel Manila will continue to seek the government’s accreditation because it provides the hostel not just credentials but reassurance to guests that they are in a safe place, a safe location, and a safe space to rest and transact business when necessary. 

To date, Crossroads Hostel has earned an average customer rating of 9.0 out of 10 stars. This is a remarkable feat considering that it is a budget accommodation and its rating outlasts some of the three to five star hotels nearby.

Get the same experience. Book a safe, secure, and clean place to stay with us. Call +639478957600 for more information. Guests can reach us via WhatsApp and we can immediately book your stay with us in no time.

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Open More Businesses, Aug 1: Trade Department/IATF

The Trade Department head, Sec. Ramon Lopez, announced over DZMM Teleradyo this morning that businesses in areas where businesses such as fitness centers, internet cafes, tutorial and review centers, and drive-in cinemas will open under certain restrictions and only in areas where GCQ (General Community Quarantine) is declared. For starters, some of these businesses will open at 30% capacity, Internet shops will open for education and work purposes only, still 30% capacity, drive-In cinemas are something new and will be implemented with supervision. Other businesses involved in grooming services (those involved in nail-care, skincare, and aesthetics) have also been allowed according to the government official.

Listed businesses must open on August 1 with 30% capacity only to manage spread of the disease (File, Anytime Fitness Shaw Boulevard)

Sec. Lopez also added that 30% is just the start and may increase business capacity to 50%, “Pero don’t worry katulad naman nung nangyari sa barbershops and dine-in restaurants, after a few weeks, kapag maganda ang compliance nila sa health protocol at sumusunod po sila don, may allowance tayo na mag-iincrease din ang capacity to 50 percent,” Lopez said.  (But let’s not worry because like the barbershops and dine-in restaurants, if the results turn out fine after a few weeks then we can increase the capacity (of these businesses) to 50 percent)

Businesses must open their business with much caution

This is definitely good news but protocols still have to be followed and proper health guidelines are entrusted to managers of these businesses to make sure the spread of the virus does not increase. The Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases has issued those guidelines. Employers must empower their staff and in return, employees must guide customers in implementing these rules strictly.

The implementation of this recent announcement will happen on Saturday, 1st August 2020.

Story Lead References:
Manila Bulletin, CNN Philippines and PDInquirer

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Taste our Philippines

Filipino dishes, instead, colors the ‘palate’ of your mouth


I find it hard to title this piece but yielded to what will catch your imagination of our food in the Philippines. Filipino dishes can be the most un-colorful bunch but dishes like Chicken Adobo, Lumpia, or Pancit can give your tongue a delightful sensation only your mouth can define.  Filipino dishes burst with flavors from salty, sweetness, and spicy and everything in between. I remember my lunch that my wife cooked me this morning. A spoonful of savory sweet, salted shrimp paste pork (called “Binagoongang” <Bee-na-go-ong-ang Bah-boy>) White Jasmine rice, and a bite of an unripened mango breaking off in your mouth releasing flavors that just screams with impact. It haunts my mouth giving my palate a bit of work. My senses gets flooded with thoughts that nothing has ever discovered it. It’s indeed a find, the best of Philippine dishes in gastronomical proportions.
Why don’t you taste our Philippines and the Department of Tourism’s Kulinarya Food Trips? This is where visitors and locals alike can dive deep into the different flavors of foods found in different parts of the country’s regions. There are more than ten food trips you can join and enjoy a hearty feast while touring the country with your belly filled and fulfilled.
Come and visit the Philippines and bite into the fun of sumptuous dishes not all can partake. We guarantee that booking your travel with Crossroads Hostel will not just add more value to your tours, give more into your pockets but will allow your taste buds to go wild screaming for more of these flavorful dishes that only our country’s Kulinarya Food Trips can give.
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Images Acknowledgements

  • Dinguan – http://www.skiptomalou.net/2010/06/to-be-fierce.html
  • Chicken Adobo – http://bakecookeat.blogspot.com/2009/08/adobong-manok-chicken-adobo-filipino.html
  • Chicken Pastel – http://totoslechon.com/chicken-menu/chicken-pastel/
  • Bistek – http://onefilipinodish.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/small_bistek004.jpg
  • Halo Halo – http://365greatpinoystuff.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/11-halo-halo/
  • Chicken Afritada – http://www.alicekalaw.com/files/2011/02/DSC02944.jpg
  • Caldereta – http://www.filipinouk.co.uk/forum/showthread.php/36925-Beef-Caldereta-(Or-is-it-Kaldereta-)
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