Tourists warned against hiking in Benguet during bad weather

BAGUIO CITY — Local authorities have warned tourists against hiking and trekking in Itogon town, Benguet province after a hiker got lost in a popular hiking destination there on Saturday.

The Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) has reminded the Itogon Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office in Benguet to be stricter and discourage all hiking, trekking, and tourism activities to ensure the safety of visitors.

A report from CDRRMC said a group of nine hikers with their two guides trekked to Mt. Ugo in Barangay Tinongdan, Itogon on Saturday despite bad weather.

Albert Mogol, regional director of the Office of the Civil Defense-Cordillera, said the hikers defied an earlier warning of local disaster officials and did not coordinate with concerned agencies.

Village officials managed to rescue one of the hikers who got separated from the group.

In a memorandum on Monday, Mogol described the hikers’ defiance as an “irresponsible action” and “should not be tolerated as it may result [in] unnecessary loss of lives especially during inclement weather situation.” /kga