Benguet, Ifugao called out for ‘poor’ vax coverage

BAGUIO CITY — While the Cordillera prepares to open its doors to tourists as travel restrictions are eased, a COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force official urged Baguio’s neighboring provinces of Benguet and Ifugao to improve their vaccination records by the end of March so their economies could catch up with the rest of the region.

Secretary Vivencio Dizon, deputy chief implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, called out these provinces for having the lowest vaccination rates compared with the rest of the highland region during a COVID-19 briefing at the Baguio Convention Center on Friday.

“Vaccines work,” Dizon said, adding that inoculating 70 percent of their respective populations was key to granting the lowest alert level 1 status to several localities in the Cordillera.

Among the areas in the Cordillera, Baguio and the provinces of Abra, Apayao and Kalinga had already achieved herd immunity against COVID-19 after vaccinating at least 75 percent of their eligible population.

Ifugao has the lowest jab figures, having completed the inoculation of 51.48 percent (88,623) of its 172,134 target, while Benguet’s fully vaccinated as of Wednesday represents 53.36 percent (208,838) of its 394,649 target. As a result, these provinces remain under alert level 2.

Mountain Province is also under level 2 but has fully jabbed 66.94 percent (84,517) of its 127,314 target populace.

The town of Sagada in Mountain Province, which relies heavily on tourism, has achieved 70 percent of its target, and has received guests since February, said Mayor James Pooten Jr.

Tourism turnoff

“Tourists won’t come if your population isn’t vaccinated,” Pooten said at the forum, noting that the town still grapples with antivaccination rumors, religious bias, and fears expressed by Sagada’s elderly population.

He added that the 30 percent they needed to vaccinate were “basically our senior citizens.”

Sagada had embarked on a study to determine the carrying capacity of its popular destinations, like its caves, which are still off-limits until health guidelines ease further, Pooten said.

At the moment, Sagada has imposed a tourist cap of 300 at any given time while inside the municipality, but it may raise that to 600 people, the mayor said.

Benguet will convene a series of village-level summits on March 15, March 17, and March 22 to review its vaccination data and determine who else needs the jab, said Dr. Meliarazon Dulay, provincial health officer.

“Many of Baguio’s workers are from Benguet, and it’s possible they and their families are listed as Baguio residents, “ Dulay said.

House-to-house jabs

Dizon said provinces that had reached their vaccination goals may deploy doctors, nurses, and other trained healthcare workers to help Benguet and Ifugao conduct a house-to-house jab rollout.

The need to intensify the vaccine rollout came at a time when the region’s Department of Tourism (DOT) is preparing to stage a “festival of festivals” in July to jump-start the local economy.

Jovita Ganongan, DOT director in the Cordillera, said that with the Baguio Flower Festival, also called Panagbenga, being restaged this month, the tourism agency is sustaining the momentum to showcase all the popular festivals that draw visitors to the Cordillera.

The event will feature the simultaneous performances of these festivals in their home provinces either online or on a special public broadcast, she told the Inquirer in an interview on Friday.

Ganongan said the DOT would also revive a travel cuisine program called “Mangan Taku” (Ilocano for “come and dine with us”) in April to feature special “cañaos” (community feasts). —VINCENT CABREZA

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