BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – The owner of a beach resort in Barangay Sto. Niño, Arevalo district faces fines and potential license revocation after a 17-year-old girl was found in one of its rooms on Valentine’s Day.
The city government’s Task Force on Morals and Values Formation (TFMVF) said the resort violated City Ordinance No. 2015-447 which prohibits minors from checking into lodging establishments without adult supervision.
According to TFMVF head Nestor Canong, the minor was spotted entering the resort around 5 p.m. on Feb.14 and was later discovered inside a room.
When confronted, the girl admitted she was underage. She was immediately turned over to social workers and reunited with her parents.
The resort staff admitted to lapses in guest monitoring, which they had previously committed to address.
“We have furnished the City Legal Office with our operation report to determine the appropriate charges against the resort,” Canong told Panay News.
City Ordinance No. 2015-447 explicitly prohibits lodging establishments from admitting minors without proper adult supervision. The ordinance aims to protect minors from exploitation and abuse.
Under the ordinance, violators face fines of up to P5,000, imprisonment of up to one year, and the potential cancellation of their business permits.
It also restricts adults who are not family members from accompanying minors in motels, inns, and similar establishments if there is an age gap of 10 years or more.
The city government has intensified its enforcement efforts, particularly during Valentine’s Day, to ensure establishments comply with the law. Task force members have conducted inspections in motels, KTV bars, and other venues across Iloilo City.
Canong emphasized that resort owners and staff must display visible signs prohibiting the entry of minors and implement strict monitoring protocols.
The task force also urged taxi operators and drivers to refuse transportation for unaccompanied minors heading to such establishments.
The resort management has been summoned by city officials to explain the incident.
The TFMVF’s recommendation for penalties, along with the legal office’s findings, will determine whether further actions, such as license revocation, will be pursued./PN
