BACOLOD City – The Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) has appealed to hotel and accommodation owners to donate the extra income they earned following the onslaught of Typhoon “Tino” on November 4.
MBCCI Vice President for Government Affairs Frank Carbon said the business sector should extend compassion to those affected by the disaster.
“We are requesting hotel owners to donate the extra money they earned to typhoon victims and to continue providing food items to evacuation centers,” Carbon said.
While Bacolod City recorded zero casualties, neighboring areas in Negros Occidental suffered severe devastation, leaving several people dead or missing.
The typhoon also caused widespread power outages across the province, disrupting water supply from BACIWA-PrimeWater Bacolod and internet connectivity throughout the city.
To cope with the lack of electricity, water, and communication lines, many residents sought temporary refuge in hotels, inns, and pension houses. However, several netizens took to social media to complain that some establishments had increased their room rates amid the crisis.
Upon learning of the issue, Mayor Greg Gasataya urged the business community to maintain pre-calamity prices, stressing that this is one way to help fellow Bacolodnons during difficult times.
“The city is now under a state of calamity, and we appeal to business owners to stick to existing prices. This is one way they can help our consumers and communities,” Gasataya said.
On Thursday, the Sangguniang Panlungsod approved Gasataya’s request to place the city under a state of calamity after 61 of Bacolod’s 61 barangays were reported affected by Typhoon Tino.
Gasataya also said the declaration allows the implementation of a price freeze on basic goods and services and enables the city government to use calamity funds to assist affected barangays.
“We need to implement a price freeze, which is essential during a calamity. Many barangays have depleted their funds and can no longer sustain the needs of evacuees and affected families,” he added./PN
