LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines — Summer this year will be different as several tourist sites in the provinces of Laguna, Batangas, Quezon and Palawan have been closed to tourists with the rising number of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country.
Tourists and tourism activities are temporarily banned in Batangas’ town of San Juan, which is famous for its popular summer destination Laiya Beach, from March 14 to April 12, an advisory issued by Mayor Ildebrando Salud said on Friday night.
Batangas has three confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Saturday.
In Laguna, Santa Maria Mayor Cindy Carolino said the Marilag Ecopark will be temporarily closed to nonresidents, and that the ninth Marilag Festival on April 1-4 will be postponed.
In Palawan province, the famous Puerto Princesa Underground River in Puerto Princesa City also closed its doors to tourists for a month, or from March 15 to April 14, in line with the “community quarantine” imposed by Mayor Lucilo Bayron on Friday, said Elizabeth Maclang, park superintendent.
Mayor Celso Olivier Dator of Lucban town in Quezon province also ordered the temporary closure of the Kamay ni Hesus shrine, the town’s popular Holy Week destination, starting Friday up to the end of March.
Lucban’s Pahiyas Festival, the crowd-drawing May-time celebration, has also been canceled.