Did that really happen?

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Five-star Hellhole

noreply@blogger.com (Persephone) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:59:58 PST

      I received a text message from my sister last Friday night saying that she got food poisoning from one particular Chinese restaurant in Crown Regency Hotel - Cebu. I immediately panicked because she has a very strong constitution. The fact that she succumbed got me thinking of the hellish nightmare her companions went through. I couldn't do anything about it, at the time, because I was in Palawan and the next flight to Manila was scheduled for the next afternoon. She assured me that she was fine and has already been discharged from the hospital.

      The fact that she (and her group) got food poisoning is not what was bothering me the most. It's the supposed lack of diligence of the hotel management for letting the incident happen. Crown Regency is apparently a five-star hotel. Recognized as one of the best and most expensive hotels in Cebu. In my opinion, it needs to have its ratings re-checked. According to my sister, the room she stayed in was very dusty, the bed sheets smelled stale, and the water temperature only has two settings - hot and hotter. When they called for someone to adjust the settings, the water temperature only got higher! I think that was a sign that they would experience hell from then on in Crown Regency.

      When the food poisoning incident was reported to the hotel management, they refused to answer for the victims' medical bills, blaming, instead, the Department of Tourism for inviting the group to the launch of the hotel's sky walk. That was the most stupid defense I've ever heard in my entire life! To add salt to the injury, the hotel management only offered, as consolation to the victims' sufferings, a complementary dinner pass for each. Like, they would want to repeat that torture! What a bunch of ingrates!!! They should be kissing the DOT representatives' feet for bringing attention to their hotel. I've never even heard of it prior to this incident. A friend of mine who lived in Cebu for a couple of years didn't even know that it was a 5-star hotel. The name Crown Regency has never come up whenever I ask for the best places to stay in Cebu.

      Someone should beat some sense into Crown Regency's management. This sort of thing shouldn't happen to a 5-star hotel. The purpose of the DOT for inviting the group was to improve tourism in the Philippines in general and Cebu City in particular. After, this incidence, I wouldn't be surprised if people would think that we poison guests in our country. Just imagine this slogan - "Visit the Philippines and get the most extreme adventure of your life! Stay in the best hotels for 3 days and 2 nights of agonizing pain. Free dinner to cap off your stay. WARNING: Hospital accomodations are not included."

[NOTE: Read the full article of the incident below (as published in People's Tonight). I apologize to those who does not understand Filipino. If you would like to request for a full translation of the actual article, send me a message containing your e-mail address, webpage, blog, etc., so I can send you a copy.]

December 14, 2008 06:20 PM Sunday

Mga journalist nalason sa Cebu!

By: Jerico Javier

CEBU CITY -- Ang masayang launching ng Sky Experience Adventure sa loob ng Crown Regency Hotel and Towers dito ay nauwi sa ’di magandang pangyayari matapos na makaranas ng sintomas ng food poisoning ang mga journalists na inimbita mula sa Metro Manila.

Ang apat na journalist ay nagkaroon umano ng loose bowel movement o LBM at nakaranas ng matinding pananakit ng tiyan pagkatapos kumain ng Chinese food sa isang kilalang restaurant dito.

Bukod sa reporter na ito, dinala din sa Cebu Doctors Hospital sina Jose Sumpay ng Business Mirror; Jessie Marie Mosqueda ng Manila Bulletin; at Sephani Maureen Asi ng Daily Tribune. Lahat ay ligtas na matapos mabigyan ng karampatang lunas.

Ang iba pang nakaranas ng LBM at sumakit ang tiyan ay sina Ma. Kristina Concepcion Supena ng Malaya; Gabrielle Elga Reyes ng Expat News; Arlene Foz ng Travel Weekly; at Anna Marie Jambora ng Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Ang mga reporter ay inanyayahang pumunta dito mula Dec. 10 to 12 para sa launching ng Sky Experience Adventure sa loob ng Crown Regency Hotel and Towers sa President Osmeña Boulevard, Sta. Cruz.

Ang mga journalist ay inimbita ng mga opisyal ng hotel sa pamamagitan ng Department of Tourism.

Dahil sa insidente, ang apat na journalist na naospital ay kinailangang magtagal pa ng isang araw dito.

Ang media group ay inimbita ni Richard King, chairman J. Kings and Sons Company Inc., may ari ng Crown Regency Hotel and Towers, sa isang pagsasalu-salo sa naturang hotel. Ang dinner ay ginanap pagkatapos ng conference ni King.

Bandang 3 a.m. ng Biyernes nang makaranas ng matinding pananakit ng tiyan ang maraming reporters. Karamihan sa kanila ay nagsuka.

“Sobrang sakit talaga sa tiyan. Halos hindi talaga ako makalakad,” ani Sumpay. Siya ay isinugod sa ospital na naka-wheelchair sa tindi ng kanyang naramdaman.

Ang reporter na tio ay isinugod sa ospital bandang 10:30 a.m. ng Biyernes matapos ring mag-LBM.

Sinagot ng management ng hotel sa pamamagitan ng DOT ang gastos sa ospital ng mga biktima. Sinagot din nila ang karagdagang bayad sa hotel. Ang mga taga-DOT ang nag-asikaso ng rebooking ng flight ng naantalang mga reporter.

Samantala, napuna ng mga naapektuhang journalist na wala man lamang humingi ng dispensa mula sa staff o opisyal ng hotel. Naulinigan umano ng isang reporter na nakakaintindi ng Cebuano mula sa isang hotel official na ang food poisoning ay ’di galing sa kanilang establishment.

Si Ma. Theresa Gopez at Rachelle Magpayo, parehong galing sa DOT sa Manila, ang nag-asikaso sa mga reporter na naapektuhan sa insidente. “Without the help of Gopez and Magpayo, the hotel would not have shouldered the victims’ hotel expenses,” ani ng isang reporter.

Samantala, agad-agad na tumawag si Tourism Secretary Ace Durano kay Gopez at Magpayo matapos na malaman ang insidente. Siya ay nagpahayag ng pagkabahala at pag-alala sa mga naapektuhang reporter. Inutusan niya rin ang DOT Region 7 na magsagawa ng imbestigasyon sa naturang insidente.

Ayon naman kay Vic Lactaoen, PR consultant ng Crown Regency Hotel and Towers, hindi pa rin sigurado na ang pagkain sa hotel ang naging sanhi ng food poisoning. Sinabi rin niyang ang DOT ang dapat na mag-imbestiga dahil sila ang nag-imbita sa mga journalist.

People's Tonight

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BGYQNS&A - Palawan Edition

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Melamine, Formaldehyde, Borax,... or just plain negligence?

Palawan Expedition with Tao Philippines!