BY HANAH TABIOS
The reopening of Baguio City in September will first target tourists from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and locals from Region 1, according to the city’s tourism official.
This means that only residents living in nearby provinces such as Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Apayao, as well as Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, and Dagupan City will be permitted first to visit the Summer Capital once it reopens its doors to the public after months of closure.
In an interview, City Tourism Officer Engr. Aloysius Mapalo, however, said that the September reopening date is still subjected to reassessment depending on the COVID-19 situation in Baguio City.
To recall, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong announced the gradual reopening of their domestic tourism when the city becomes COVID-free for about a month. But in recent days, coronavirus cases in Baguio have reemerged, prompting the local government unit to place several barangays under lockdown.
The announcement of the reopening also alarmed some social media users, primarily those who live in Baguio City.
According to Baguio’s Public Information Office (PIO), the city has 162 total confirmed coronavirus cases, with 58 active cases as of August 9.
“September has been our projected reopening schedule since we started planning for recovery, but all subject to the COVID situation in and out of the city,” Mapalo said.
But unlike during the pre-COVID period, the city tourism office will now limit Baguio’s carrying capacity in order to properly practice health and safety protocols despite the reopening of tourism.
“We will still determine [the carrying capacity]. It can be as low as 200 or high as 1,000 per day, depending on risk levels,” he said, citing that they are yet to finalize the extent of restriction.
“We’re also still getting the pulse of the local residents, and advice from local health officers,” he added.
Last week, the Baguio’s tourism office has already released the proposed set of guidelines for the reopening of domestic tourism to which Mapalo said they are simply preparing and putting all needed systems in place for any eventuality.
Among the required guidelines in the swab testing of tourists at the triage area prior to border entry, which means that travel to Baguio is now relatively expensive as tourists will have to shoulder the testing costs on top of their travel expenses.
Meanwhile, tourism chief Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the decision of the reopening will always depend on the local officials as the tourism department’s role is only to concur with the decision.
