Baguio City still not opening up to tourists

July 12, 2020 Metro BLISTT

BAGUIO CITY (July 10, 2020) – Baguio City remains closed to tourists, Mayor Benjamin Magalong said amid reports that some tour agencies are already accepting reservations despite quarantine restrictions.
‘(The city) remains closed to tourists and leisure activities while the Coronavirus 2019 still hovers and while quarantine measures are still in effect’, Magalong reiterated Friday, warning, “anybody caught violating our local government restrictions shall be dealt with accordingly under the following laws and its accompanying penalties”.
Section 6 [a] of Republic Act No. 11469 (Bayanihan to Heal as One Act) punishes and penalizes disobedience of national government policies or directives in regard to quarantine impositions by local government unit officials with imprisonment of two (2) months or a fine of not less than P10,000.00 but not more P1,000,000.00 or both, at the discretion of the court. While Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, punishes resistance or disobedience to persons in authority or their agents with “arresto mayor” or jail time of up to six months, and fine not exceeding P100,000, among others.
This as another two new cases emerged Friday – a 58-year old male from Bakakeng Norte and a 22-year old female from Loakan Liwanag barangay, hiking Baguio’s active cases to four as of Friday. On Thursday, a 25-year old female mall worker from Upper Quezon Hill barangay tested positive of the disease prompting a lockdown of her barangay. The patient experienced symptoms and was swab tested at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center.
Artemio A. Dumlao