Tourists Still Banned From PMA

September 22, 2020 JUST IN

BAGUIO CITY (September 22, 2020) – Tourists are still banned from the Philippine Military Academy, even as Baguio City opens up to tourists from the Ilocos region starting Tuesday (September 22, 2020).

PMA Commandant of Cadets Brigadier General Romeo Brawner Jr., pressed Contact Tracing Czar and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong to exempt the premier military academy, a major tourist attraction in the city.

Magalong has approved PMA’s request.

PMA remains coronavirus disease (Covid-19)-free after imposing in February an institution-wide lockdown as a proactive measure against the virus.

“We want to maintain safety for our cadets,” Brawner said.

PMA said anyone who enters PMA from outside is required to pass through the triage at the Fort Del Pilar Station Hospital and those who test positive are immediately brought to Baguio General Hospital.

Safety measures inside the academy include wearing of a mask, social distancing even during formations and parades.

Lockdown of Fort Del Pilar is still in place. Even cadets are not allowed to go outside the academy.

“Baguio’s Gradual Opening Up”

Baguio’s gradual opening of tourism after th signing of a memorandum of agreement with the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan on September 1 is set in three phases: Phase 1 as Intra-Corridor Travel aimed to be completed in two months; Phase 2 for the expanded travel corridor projected months after the launch; and Phase 3 as the sub-national inter-travel projected after three months of the launch.

City Tourism Officer Alec Mapalo said “do-it-yourself tours” and “day tours” (those not staying overnight) are not allowed.

A system requiring travelers to pre-register, have a health declaration form, upload the latest Covid-19 test result that shows a negative result has been introduced. In the initial stages, visitors must undergo pre-booking with hotels and when they arrive in the city, they must undergo triage.

For accommodations, hotels have standard operating procedures when they check in that include contact less and digital mode of transactions, a system to find out whether tourists when through the process, have the required documents and went to triage.

Specific areas covered in Ilocos Region allowed to travel for leisure in Baguio City in La Union are San Juan, Bauang and San Gabriel; Manaoag, Alaminos City and Bolinao in Pangasinan; Vigan, Bantay and Caoayan in Ilocos Sur and Badoc, Currimao, Paoay, Batac, Laoag, Pasuiquin, Burgos, Bangui, Pagudpod, Adams, Sarrat and Vintar for Ilocos Norte.

“Domestic Tourism Sees Big”

This as the tourism department said it is seein big on domestic tourism while it is bullish to concentrate in rebuilding trust and confidence in the travel market for next year.

At the opening of Baguio City to tourists from the Ilocos region starting Tuesday, Tourism secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said that “the year 2021 will be about local tourism.” She added that tourism is the “backbone of many local economies.”

Baguio City and Region 1, the tourism department believes are examples of communities dependent on the industry for employment and livelihood.

“The country’s summer capital and Region 1 have been designated as pilot areas for the gradual reopening of tourism with a maximum of 200 visitors per day. Residents of the region will be allowed to visit Baguio, subject to the minimum health standards set by the Department of Health (DOH). Restarting tourism is our priority. Kailangan pong magkaroon na ng mga trabaho ang mga nawalan ng trabaho,” Puyat said.

Citing regional tourism as part of the innovation programs, the tourism chief said that the department continually conducts dialogues and consultations with different LGUs and stakeholders wishing to slowly reopen.

Puyat personally graced the launch of the “Ridge to Reef” program of Baguio City Tuesday.

Earlier on September 1 (Baguio’s 111^th year charter anniversary), a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong, Ilocos Sur 2nd District Rep. Kristine Singson Meehan, Ilocos Sur Gov. Ryan Luis Singson, Ilocos Norte Gov. Mathew Joseph Marcos Manotoc, Pangasinan Gov. Amado I. Espino III, and La Union Gov. Francisco Emmanuel Ortega, who was represented by Department of Tourism (DOT) Region I Regional Director Joseph Francisco Ortega at the Baguio Country Club.

The DOT through the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) had committed to fund relevant projects including the V.I.S.I.T.A., or the “Visitors Information and Tourist Assistance” app to manage the arrivals of tourists in the city.

DOT is optimistic that the travel bubble program can be replicated in other areas in Visayas and Mindanao where COVID-19 cases are nil or very low, Puyat said.

“By pursuing domestic tourism while international travels are halted by the pandemic, the DOT will work hard to bring back jobs and promote the Philippines as a safe and fun tourism destination, through the help of information technology and communication campaigns,” she added.

-Artemio A. Dumlao