ITOGON, Benguet – The municipal government is now bracing for the expected influx of tourists in the various tourist destinations during the Yuletide season to ensure their memorable visit to the municipality.
Mayor Bernard S. Waclin appreciated the preparations done by resort owners and barangay officials in ensuring the safety and security of the visitors wanting to visit the various resort and trekking destinations in the municipality because they were able to provide for safety measures in their respective tourist spots.
He added that tourism and other tourism-related activities in the municipality had been opened over the past several months as part of the ongoing efforts of government agencies and the local government to gradually and safely revive the heavily impacted local economy caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The municipal chief executive claimed the significant increase in tourist arrivals in the municipality had been noticeable since the resumption of tourism and tourism-related activities and that further increases will be expected during the Yuletide season because of the movement of people who are eager to visit their desired tourist spots after the more than 2 years of lockdown amidst the implementation of community quarantine restrictions.
Mayor Waclin said that the municipal government is ready for the expected influx of more visitors but it is still important for them to continue adhering to the implementation of the minimum public health and safety protocols to prevent the occurrence of untoward incidents that may compromise the gains of the government in trying to recover from the effects of the pandemic.
According to him, the municipal government envisions tourism as one of the town’s major economic driver in the future because it will guarantee the preservation and protection of the environment.
Itogon is a first-class municipality that heavily relies on mining as the major source of income to sustain the delivery of basic services to the people and fund the implementation of priority development projects.
Waclin urged the residents and visitors alike to strictly observe the safety measures and regulations that are being implemented in the different tourist destinations to ensure their safety and security and to prevent the occurrence of untoward incidents that may compromise their health and safety.
Among the famous tourist destinations in the municipality include recreation and swimming pools, the trekking destinations such as Mount Ulap and Mount Ugo and other merging ecotourism destinations in different barangays, aside from scenic rice terraces in barangays Tinongdan and Dalupirip.
The mayor advised tourists to properly dispose their waste so as not to pollute the tourist spots they are visiting and the different river systems and other sources of potable water in the municipalities have been preserved and protected by residents.
