Sagada conducts tourism opening dry-run

BAGUIO CITY (August 26, 2021)— Sagada town  in Mountain Province is conducting a dry-run in opening its tourist sites to determine the possibilities of welcoming visitors and the capability of the town in handling its tourism  under the new normal.

Mayor James Pooten Jr. said, 30 individuals from the different tourism agencies and offices in the Cordillera Region are participating in the three-day activity from August 26 to August 27, 2021. On the third day the mayor said, they will be doing an assesment of the dry-run.

According to Pooten, they have set protocols and guidelines in the different tourist spots of Sagada.  He said they have also set strict policies and measures to be followed at the hotels and restaurants among other establishments.

Pooten said they are hoping that the town could soon accept visitors from other areas in order to revive their tourism industry.

Sagada, especially its economy, is much dependent to tourism and it will be of great help to the people once tourism will open,  the mayor believed.

The mayor is seeking assistance to the Department of Tourism (DOT) through Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat and the Department of Health (DOH) in the vaccination of the people of Sagada as they will face visitors who are coming from different locations.

He admitted that they are not prepared for the worst the moment a surge of Corona Virus Disease (Covid 19) cases develops in Sagada. Yet,  they have to strengthen their guard and their capacity in facing such possibility.

The mayor said that they will strictly require visitors to first register online at the website of Sagada. The tourists must also present necessary documents and they have to be fully vaccinated.

Pooten said the opening of Sagada to tourists still depends on the health situation of the country.

Artemio A. Dumlao