Berjaya Hotel Makati Releases Official Statement On Gwyneth Chua Issue

Here’s the official statement of Berjaya Hotel on the recent quarantine violation issue

Berjaya Hotel Makati released its official statement on the recent issue involving Gwyneth Chua, a returning Filipino from the U.S., who reportedly skipped her quarantine.

On Wednesday, the Department of Tourism ordered the suspension of the hotel’s operation, based on the report from ABS-CBN. The hotel is also fined “equivalent to twice the rack rate of its most expensive room.”

Chua checked in at the hotel on December 22 but she left the premises 15 minutes after, the hotel stated in a reply to DOT last January 1. In a statement of DOT, the agency said that “Neither did the hotel security personnel nor the front lobby call her attention, and neither was there any effort to report the incident to the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), even after her return three (3) days later. She was later seen in social media posts at a bar in Poblacion.”

This is the apparent reason why Gwyneth Chua earned the tag “Poblacion Girl”. Aside from her, the hotel also received criticisms online as allegations of “palakasan” surfaced.

In line with this, Berjaya Hotel Makati released a statement that was shared on the Twitter account of GMA News reporter Ian Cruz. The hotel said that it was dismayed by how the conversation about the recent quarantine violation involving the company has gone out of hand.

In the statement, the hotel also said that it remained silent these past days to give to the investigation. Berjaya Hotel Makati strongly opposed the speculation that it is tolerating quarantine violators “nor entertain the thought of being a ‘connection.'”

It also condemns the misinformation that is circulating and stressed that the hotel is also doing its part in taking care of the patients. “We became their families, taking care of them. We front our lives to serve our OFWs in and out of the country,” it stated. The hotel also said that along with other hotels, it also served many people in the time of the pandemic, and now it is just being pinned down. It also asked the authorities and the public to be kind enough as it is protecting its employees, stakeholders, guests, reputations, and families.