GREEN DESTINATION Baguio Botanical Garden is among the top attractions in Baguio City where visitors and residents can take a break and enjoy the sight of pine trees, flowers and pocket gardens. —VALERIE DAMIAN
BAGUIO CITY, Benguet, Philippines — Tourists planning to visit this city will have to wait even after the extended enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) ends in many parts of Luzon on May 15, local officials said on Monday.
Tourism remains at the bottom of a list of industries that have been given priority for reopening here in light of restrictions against movement to contain the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“We will not allow [the immediate return of tourists]. We have a transition plan for ECQ. Tourists and even returning residents will not be allowed to come here right away,” Mayor Benjamin Magalong told a radio interview on Sunday.
He said the city government had an action plan, which included the gradual reopening of businesses that sell food, medicines, materials required for manufacturing face masks, and agricultural and hardware supplies.“We are confident this transition action plan … will decisively lay down a strong foundation toward economic recovery,” he said.
Luring back tourists
The city will lure back tourists through a new marketing campaign that can be launched on Sept. 1, Baguio Day, having lost P1.4 billion in potential gross revenue from tourism-related events from February to April.
About 500 hotels, inns and other accommodation facilities were temporarily closed due to the ECQ, displacing more than 4,000 employees.
The suspension of tourism events has allowed the city environment and parks management office (Cepmo) to concentrate on improving parks like Botanical Garden, and resume a program to rehabilitate and reforest the city.
BURNHAM PARK Many tourists in Baguio City never miss a visit to Burnham Park, a public recreation area famous for its boat and bicycle rides and weekend picnic spots, right at the city center. The park, however, will remain quiet until tourists return to Baguio. —EV ESPIRITU
“February and the rest of summer are the months for flowers to blossom in this part of the country … But flowers have lasted longer [when people are restricted indoors during the quarantine],” said Rhenan Diwas, assistant city environment officer.
Rain has also been falling mostly in the afternoon since last week, helping rejuvenate trees and enhance flowers at Botanical Garden.
After May 15, the Cepmo staff will plant new pine trees at an arboretum being constructed nearby.
Burnham jog
Tourist-drawer Burnham Park has been primed for rehabilitation by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, but development work there has slowed down due to the lockdown.
No one has been allowed to stroll at the park, but city officials have been discussing its use by joggers to encourage people to exercise.
As of May 2, Baguio had recorded 30 patients infected with the coronavirus, including 15 who were still under treatment at Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center.—
—VINCENT CABREZA