LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The municipal government will be allowing the entry of foreign and domestic tourists following the downgrading of the province’s status to alert Level 2 that will pave the way for the possible revival of the heavily impacted tourism sector and the overall economy.
However, Mayor Romeo K. Salda claimed that tourists wanting to visit the various revitalized tourist destinations in the municipality should still present their negative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or antigen test results that were taken 72 or 48 hours prior to their scheduled travel.
He disclosed that among the tourist destinations that are open for visitation include Mount Kalugong, Mount Yangbew, strawberry farm, Bahong cutflower farms, Puguis communal forest, the Cordillera Career Development College (CCDC) Admirals Park and other open destinations located in the various parts of the municipality.
The municipal chief executive added that the gradual and safe revival of the heavily impacted sector will definitely help in the generation of jobs for the people and increase in their economic activities and provide income to the people.
Mayor Salda stipulated that the town’s tourism industry have enormously suffered since the implementation of the Luzonwide lockdown in March 2020 and that over the past 2 years, it was a roller-coaster drive for the sector following the emergence of the different variants that resulted to the implementation of granular lockdowns and restrictions on the movement of people in and out of their communities.
According to him, municipal officials and concerned tourism industry stakeholders are hopeful that there will be smooth recovery as there has been a significant decline in the number of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases over the past several weeks after the recent surge caused by the more infectious and more contagious Omicron variant.
The mayor revealed that the municipal government will now close the operation of a number of its established isolation units because of the decreasing number of COVID-19 cases to allow the same facilities to be used for their prescribed purposes such as for economic enterprise of the municipal government and for the conduct of allowed gatherings.
Salda explained that the municipal government will await the latest advisories from the inter-agency task force for the management of emerging infectious diseases before deciding to further ease the restrictions on the movement of visitors and residents as these must be undertaken gradually and safely to prevent any surges in cases that might compromise the local health care system and unduly stress the frontliners.
He commended the frontliners composed of the health workers, the members of the barangay health emergency response teams (BHERTs), barangay officials, uniformed personnel, officials and employees of concerned government agencies and the local government and volunteers for their patience and sacrifice in having to attend to the needs of COVID-19 patients who have been mandated to undergo facility-based or home isolation.
