Temporary Resort Closure: Lived Experience of Resort Owners Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic in the Island Garden City of Samal

The global pandemic crisis due to COVID-19 has affected all industries worldwide. The condition of the tourism industry is certainly unprecedented. This phenomenon has affected the Philippines since we are one of the tourist destinations sought by local and international tourists. This study aimed to describe the struggles, strategies, and viewpoints of resort owners during the temporary closure of resorts in the Island Garden City of Samal. We employed a descriptive phenomenological research design. Ten resort owners participated in the semi-structured key informant interview (KII), and the data were analyzed using Colaizzi's method. Results revealed the following themes: economic loss and employment loss for their struggles; flexible work arrangement and reduced number of employees for their strategies; and public safety and security and operating with strict implementation of safety protocols for their viewpoints. Although the temporary resort closure affected the entire resort operation, the informants found a way to keep some of their employees staying by providing flexible work arrangements and maintaining the resort's physical facilities. The resort owners also express their willingness to comply to help stop the disease from spreading.