The National Hotel & Tourism Association, Asonahores advises the public that most hotels and rental units are fully booked for the Easter weekend. A spokesperson for Asonahores says that the Easter holidays is the busiest time of year for its member hotels. Today, 11 April, is the last day of classes at most schools nation-wide. Classes will not resume until Monday, 21 April. Arturo Villanueva of the Hotel Association says that resorts usually set aside 15-20% of their available rooms for the local bookings, but that even many of these rooms were reserved three to four months ago. Villanueva said that hotels are reporting a 10% increased demand for rooms this year.
Special measures have been put in place to increase safety of travelers, including increased patrols and speed checks on the highways. Also it is important to advise that there are bans on the use of motorized watercrafts in beaches across the country.
The Center for Emergency Operations that is coordinating the multi-institutional safety and public health program, announced yesterday, that more than 30,000 volunteers stationed at 512 posts would be assisting travelers at beaches, swimming spots, roads, highways all around the country. The operation includes bici-ambulances, ambulances, tow-truck stations, auto repair shops, mobile hospitals at strategic points nationwide.