LEGAL ASPECTS IN TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

THC 8

SEMI-FINAL EXAMINATION

QUESTION:

1. One way to make sure the food that the hospitality industry serves is safe, is to enforce
HACCP. HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points and is a
systematic approach to locate, analyze, and regulate any hazards that may occur with
food. It is a way to try and prevent mishaps such as food poisoning and food
contamination in the hospitality industry. Is following HACCP procedures ensure the
safety of food starting as early as purchasing it all the way to preparing it and serving it?
Give hour discussion on it?

 HACCP is an integral part of every Food & Beverage Enterprise. Each business
or company has to have a HACCP system that is made especially for them. It is to
be tailored to their activities and operation for them to have an effective outcome.
Knowing the HACCP procedures of the company you are working at is very
important because it could affect the business as a whole. Consumers are more
educated now and are always looking for better and safer products in the market.
The one thing that many buyers are now looking for, are HACCP certified
products because it means that those products have gone through sanitary
inspections and have better quality (from purchasing, production and to serving).
Indeed, every business must go through and strictly follow the HACCP
procedures to increase the trust that consumers have and also to incorporate
quality as their trademark.

2. A Case Study in Labor Law

Tony, the general manager of a 350-room hotel, was becoming concerned as he read an
email from his company's attorney. Despite having been terminated for well-documented
insubordination and job abandonment, a former housekeeper named Tracy had lodged a
wrongful termination complaint alleging that Tony had subjected her to gender and age
 discrimination, illegal pay practices, and retaliation for having protested unsafe
working conditions.
As he began to collect and review the data in Tracy's employee file, Tony knew that the outcome
of the case would be determined based on the quality of his record-keeping in five of the most
important categories of labor law including discrimination, pay practices, labor unions,
employee safety, and retaliation. Was Tracy Wrongfully Terminated Based on
Discrimination? Give your discussion?

 Based on the statements given, it is very hard to decide whether Tracy was indeed
wrongfully terminated due to discrimination. In order to prove her case, Tracy
must first seek evidence to support her claim and it also applies to the General
Manager (Tony). In the Philippines, the agency responsible for these kinds of
incidences is the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE); it is up to them
whom they will side with. As stated above, the employer has well-documented
insubordination and job abandonment of Tracy and can be used by DOLE as solid
proof against her. Tracy can however, request DOLE, with the use of the OSH
Law or Republic Act No. 11058 “An act Strengthening Compliance with
Occupational Safety and Health Standards and Providing penalties for Violations
thereof”, to collect evidence that points to her claims of discrimination, illegal pay
practices and retaliation from protesting. It is then, that DOLE can confirm who is
at fault and who should be apprehended.

3. The decision of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on
March 8 to allow the operations of the Provincial Public Utility Buses (PUBs) on inter-
regional routes has not lifted the spirits of bus operators whose bottom line has been
languishing in the red. This could have been a welcome development for an industry
battered by the pandemic, if only the government has also allowed them to use their own
bus terminals located in Metro Manila. Worse, such restrictions could also prove tortuous
for the public now that commerce is slowly returning to pre-pandemic operations. In
LTFRB’s Memorandum Circular No. 2022-023, all PUB Operators with valid Certificate
of Public Convenience (CPC), Provisional Authority (PA), and Special Permits are
allowed to resume operations and use only designated end-point terminals to and from
Metro Manila. WHAT IS THE BEST SOLUTION THAT YOU CAN GIVE?
  In light of the pandemic, the LTFRB should not make it harder on the bus
operators to continue on their pre-pandemic routes. The bus terminals in Metro
Manila are there for a reason; it is where most of the passengers are situated and
more used to being loaded or unloaded. The best solution I can give to this
situation, is to allow the buses to still use their own bus terminals but will have
more stricter implementation so as not to cause traffic. It is true that most buses
do not follow the drop off points, especially those with passengers who have out
of the way routes that are far from the bus terminals. In order to solution this
problem, the people must be informed accordingly so as not to cause any
violations, otherwise the LTFRB may fine the bus operators for violation.

4. Overinvestment in the Philippines' thriving casino sector could become a reality as

investors chase lucrative returns in Asia's fastest-growing gaming hub, casino-to-ports
magnate Enrique Razon Jr. Business is also at risk of being cannibalized when casinos
operated by the state are privatized next year, said Razon, who is the chairman of
Blombery Resorts and International Container Terminal Services. "Cannibalization – it is
always possible, over investment. With liquidity nowadays and [low] interest rates,
people are making investments that 10 years ago [they] wouldn't even think about, those
kinds of returns." How can then be Philippines' Booming Casino Sector at Risk of
Oversupply?

 The Philippines has now become a haven for investors especially those dealing in
the casino sectors. It is seen in the many rising casinos all over the country,
despite having a pandemic. There had been a conflict of interest regarding
PAGCOR as a regulator and government owned casino. Therefore, they have
decided last 2017 that they will privatize all casinos so that they could increase
their government funds and to appease the private casino operators. It is at risk of
oversupply because more investments will mean more competition.

5. Despite your best efforts, there’s no way to please everyone — and that leads to the
occasional customer complaint. Interestingly, only 14% of customers lodge complaints
face-to-face at restaurants. Nearly 40% air their dissatisfaction on social media platforms
and review sites. What is the best strategy for customer satisfaction?
 Especially in the service industry, there will always be negative feedback, more so
if you are just starting out in the food business. In order to create something from
this, you must think of it as a weapon for improvement. The customers have given
you the chance to be better; in lodging that complaint, they have given you
awareness and aided you to come up with a better solution to this problem.
Remember that it is always a two-way system therefore, as a food operator, you
must learn how to listen to your customer’s concerns and understand the position
of the customer and why they decided to voice out their criticism. It is very
important to respect the opinion of each customer so that they will feel like they
are being heard and not ridiculed. Learn strategies that could help you fix the
problems directly but not before owning up to the mistakes that you have
overlooked, and apologize for the inconvenience it has created. It will create the
impression of sincerity and the customer will appreciate your response to their
constructive criticism and feel better (rather than mad) for asserting themselves.