Baguio, Benguet officials start coordinated moves vs Covid-19

By Marlo T. Lubguban

BAGUIO CITY – Mayors of Baguio City and the towns of La Trinidad, Sablan, Tuba, Tublay  (BLISTT)in Benguet  met here recently as the enhanced community quarantine was implemented to create BLISTT-wide community quarantine policies to avoid confusion and address emerging issues given the towns' socio-economic interdependence. BLISTT chairman and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong cited need for urgent complementary policies as frontline workers and vital resources are shared between towns.

Baguio City has started ordering PPEs on behalf of the BLISTT local governments to ensure the equipment of a unified BLISTT frontline. Mayors agreed to purchase these in bulk and minimize the cost.
Food security, they said, was top priority.

However, Magalong said international data showed public markets were next to hospitals as places with the highest risk of transmission.

He added Baguio City can buy farm products from the LISTT farmers. To combat the spread of the disease, rolling stores have been initiated.  Tuba has launched its rolling stores in selected barangays, Baguio City launched the project early April even as supermarkets were being restocked.

Cordillera Economic and Development Authority regional director Milagros Rimando urged other municipalities to coordinate with the Dept. of Trade and Industry for assistance in establishing rolling stores. 

La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda said his office and Benguet provincial government are working to distribute vegetables in the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post and Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC) to ensure the availability of vegetables while preventing the overcrowding in these facilities.

Brig. Gen. Henry Doyaoen of the 503rd Brigade Commander said movement between borders and in and out of the house must be minimized.

                Magalong urged BLISTT mayors to increase efforts in keeping residents in their homes.

                He added the target in Baguio City was for 4% of the population to be outside at the most.

Mayor Salda added his office is increasing transportation services for residents of La Trinidad who are vital workers in Baguio City.

Col. Allen Rae Co, chief of Baguio City Police Office said they are coordinating with BLISTT areas on proper coordination of checkpoints.

As a primary gateway to the rest of Cordillera, the BLISTT plays a vital role in keeping Covid-19 infections in the Cordillera to a minimum.  Tuba was singled out as the area's first line of defense.

A meeting was set to unify the BLISTT policy in implementing quarantine.

The NEDA-CAR will facilitate planning activities for the BLISTT quarantine plan and the Cordillera resilience and recovery plan.

NEDA-CAR heads the economic response cluster of the Regional Interagency Task Force against Covid-19 and the vice-chair for rehabilitation and recovery under the Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.