Panagbenga fest, and other city activities cancelled due to nCoV

February 3, 2020 Headlines

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Benjamin Magalong Jan. 31 decided to cancel the Panagbenga opening activities and other major and crowd-drawing activities in the city in the next three weeks as a safety precaution against the 2019 nCoV.
“After series of deliberation with health officials, we will cancel (the) street parade tomorrow (Feb. 1), the CARAA (Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association) meet and all events that will draw crowds in the next three weeks,” said Magalong with health, education officials and Panagbenga organizing committee members in a press conference.
The mayor’s decision was made after consulting with officials of the Department of Education, Department of Health, the Baguio General Hospital, Office of Civil Defense, Dept. of Tourism, the Baguio Tourism Council and the BFFFI.
Magalong called the emergency meeting after the DOH confirmed on Thursday the first case of nCoV in the country.
The Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. (BFFFI) however clarified that the opening parade will not be totally scrapped but will just be postponed to a later date.
All other Panagbenga activities will push through as scheduled even as the mayor withheld decision on whether or not to postpone the three main events – the Grand Street Dance and Float Parade as well as Session Road in Bloom set on Feb. 29 and beyond considering that there is still a need to assess the situation in the coming weeks.
The mayor also cancelled the Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) regional sports competition on February 16-21, 2020, the Sunday Session Road pedestrianization activities and art activities along Session Road and all other activities that would entice crowd in the next three weeks (February 1-23, 2020).
The consensus was to put the health and safety of the residents and tourists over and above other concerns as health authorities agreed that while there is no 2019-n-CoV case yet in the city and the region, they cannot guarantee that its entry can be prevented when the city opens its gate to a Panagbenga-size crowd especially with its high infection rate and volatile nature.
DOH-CAR Regional Director Amelita Pangilinan said the country has been given a high risk status by the World Health Organization with one case confirmed and 28 under investigation.
“I don’t care about the losses that will be incurred in the postponement of these activities. What we are after is the safety of the people,” the mayor said. The mayor however clarified that the city is not on a lockdown status. Tourists are still welcome to enjoy the city and the other activities will push through as scheduled, he said. With the cancellation of the parade, the mayor lifted the suspension of classes in the tertiary level which he ordered earlier.
The mayor meanwhile formed a task force composed of the local government unit offices, DOH, Health Services Office, DepEd, OCD, BGH Philippine Information Agency, Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Commission on Higher Education, Baguio Fire Department, Baguio Tourism Office as well as emergency groups and others to closely monitor and respond to any health issues the virus may bring about.
Panagbenga organizing committee chief of staff Evangeline Payno said most of the events in Feb. 1 opening like the Baguio Blooms, the landscaping, and exposition, however, will go on as planned.
She, however, asked all stakeholders especially the students to be joining the opening parade to stay put due to the cancellation of the parade and the drum and lyre competition.
“We will not be canceling it and they will be part of the grand street parade on Feb. 29 because they worked hard for it and had been for months practicing,” Payno said.
She also called on all volunteers, the police and emergency groups, that their services will not be needed anymore.
Andrew Pinero of the Panagbenga organizing committee said all events of the FlowerFest are just postponed and not canceled and that Baguio is open to tourists who want to enjoy the cool weather which is at its finest this time of the year.
Dr. Thea Cajulao, the Baguio General Hospital Medical Center (BGHMC) expert on infectious disease, said nCoV thrives under the cold condition of the city now, which has recorded a low 11 degrees centigrade the past days as the tail of the “hanging amihan”.
“Baguio and the Cordilleras is a hot spot for nCoV but including influenza virus, thus the number of pulmonary diseases during this time of the year,” she said.
Dr. Ricardo Runez Jr., BGHMC’s medical director, said the primary hospital of the city and Northern Luzon is equipped to deal with nCoV cases as they have competent personnel and facilities. They are also awaiting the arrival of testing kits early this coming week.
DOH-CAR acting director, Dr. Amelita Pangilinan, meanwhile, advised the public to take extra precautions, avoid crowds, practice proper hygiene like hand washing, covering one’s mouth while sneezing and avoid kissing anybody.
Department of Education-Baguio division assistant superintendent Soraya Faculo said she will ask the CARAA board to convene to relay mayor Magalong’s declaration.
She will also inform all school divisions of the latest update that the Feb. 16-21 sports meet cannot be staged due to the fear that the virus will spread.
Magalong, however, said his declaration will not include the Philippine Military Academy alumni homecoming on Feb. 14-16 as it is beyond his authority.
The PMA graduate of 1982, said it will be up to the PMA Alumni Association to declare if it will cancel the annual celebration of former cadets in Asia’s premier military academy.
 
(PNA/PIO/ABN)