ATOK, Benguet – Motorists, especially first-time travelers, are advised to take the necessary precautions when traveling along the Halsema highway to prevent the occurrence of untoward incidents that can compromise their safety during the rainy season.
Mayor Franklin Smith pointed out that poor visibility along most portions of road in the highlands prevails during heavy downpour aggravated by thick fog in the late afternoon or late night that is why motorists must take the necessary precautions to avoid situations that may compromise their safety during their travels.
He advised first-time visitors to ensure that their vehicles are in good running condition aside from having drivers that are familiar with the prevailing situation in the municipality to ensure their safe and comfortable travel along the highway to their desired destinations.
Atok boasts of various farm tourist sites and ecotourism destinations that entice foreign and domestic tourists to extend their areas of destination up to the central Cordillera to have a feel of the well-preserved and protected nature in these communities.
Mayor Smith stipulated that the installed solar studs along portions of the Halsema highway is not sufficient to guide motorists but mastery of the terrain among drivers is also needed to ensure safe travels.
According to him, one-day visitors must make sure that they travel to their desired destinations early so that they will be able to return to their accommodations before weather conditions will affect their travel.
The municipal chief executive underscored that Atok is a major tourist destination in the province that is why the local government is doing its best to sustain the implementation of programs, projects and activities that aggressively promote the various tourist spots to increase the number of visitors to help in spurring progress in the locality.
Aside from ensuring the necessary improvements in the current tourist destinations in the municipality, the mayor stipulated the need to work on the improvement of local products to help concerned stakeholders to increase their income from the sale and marketing of their produce among visitors that will contribute in sustaining their source of livelihood.
Smith said that the municipal government continues to work with the tourism department and the provincial government to help advance the state of tourism in the municipality to serve as an alternative source of income for the people apart from vegetable and flower production which had been their major economic activity in the locality through the years.
He admitted that during the onset of the rainy season, tourist arrivals in the municipality had declined over the past several weeks but he expressed hope this will increase when the weather improves to help in reviving the businesses that were heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
