Sagada gets ready for return of tourists

TRAILS AND CAVES Prior to the pandemic, the town of Sagada in Mountain Province was frequented by local and foreign travelers due to its popular tourist attractions, such as its natural trails and burial caves. —RICHARD BALONGLONG

BAGUIO CITY—The town of Sagada in Mountain Province has briefly opened its doors to tourists within the Cordillera region as it held a dry run for five days to gauge its readiness in accommodating visitors amid the ongoing pandemic.

Mayor James Pooten Jr. said 30 people from the different tourism agencies and offices in the region were invited to visit the town during the dry run that began on Aug. 24.

The dry run would evaluate the efficiency of the town’s online registration, validation of registered guests and its compliance with protocols, the mayor said in a statement.

He said they would also test the capability of the town’s tourism facilities and workers to handle guests.

The invited guests had undergone COVID-19 testing requirements and were fully vaccinated before entering the town for the dry run, Pooten added.

Tour packages

Pooten said the visitors’ movements were limited to activities that were scheduled for the event.

The local tourism office has been exploring new tour packages that include agri-tourism and tourism within communities to attract more visitors once it reopens its tourism industry.

Pooten has sought the assistance of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat and officials of the Department of Health in speeding up the vaccine rollout for Sagada residents as part of the preparation for resumption of its tourism activities.

He said the town’s health-care facilities and capacity would also need a boost to not address a surge in COVID-19 cases.

“Opening Sagada to tourists largely depends on the health situation of the country,” Pooten said.

Sagada is a popular tourist destination in northern Luzon because of its burial caves, landscapes, and indigenous culture.

It was on Feb. 13 last year when the town shut its doors on tourists as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, making it one of the first local governments in Cordillera to close its borders and ban leisure travelers. —KIMBERLIE QUITASOL