Baguio’s transition will be ‘baby steps:’ city mayor

By Liza Agoot  

BAGUIO CITY – Nine days before the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) is lifted, the city government here is laying down plans for its transition back to the normal which Mayor Benjamin Magalong described as “baby steps”.

“It will be difficult for us to really open it up if we make a big leap but it's so difficult to make adjustments kaya kailangan baby steps yan, dahan-dahan (that is why we have to take baby steps, slowly),” Magalong said in an interview on Monday.

He said that while they are waiting for the national government to issue a post-April 30 directive, the city is planning for the transition from an ECQ to a localized community quarantine.

“We are just planning, we are anticipating kung saka- sakaling the national government would decide that some LGUs [local government units] or all LGU would go for the lifting of the ECQ. We are preparing for it. We are planning ahead so that we will be prepared," he said.

He said the first to resume is the construction industry.

“Definitely the construction (industry) would be the first, especially on government projects. Second, is private construction especially the critical projects like retaining walls, drainage systems, sewerage systems, those are important,” Magalong said.

“Ang daming projects natin dito na kailangan ayusin, rainy season na so ang daming mga retaining walls na kailangan tapusin. Kahapon may dalawa ng bumagsak dahil sa heavy rain. May mga naapektuhan nang mga construction (We have several projects that need to be fixed, it is now the rainy season and there are retaining walls that need to be completed. Yesterday, there were already two projects that eroded because of the heavy rain. There are construction projects that are being affected),” he said.

He said that for the transport sector, it will be demand-driven.

“We have to ease up on transport but it depends on what would be the demand," he said.

When the construction industry opens, hardware, auto supply will also resume, Magalong said.

He also said the city will have its own strategic plan but the action plan on how to implement will cover certain periods or duration then make an assessment and either modify, amend, revise and then continue again with the process.

The city had earlier issued an extension of the suspension of classes in all levels in the city until May 31, which is basically the end of the school year and a semester in all schools that have adopted an August to May school calendar.

Among the changes felt in the past two days also include a stricter implementation of the ECQ and the 24 hours curfew as well as the cutting to two days of the market day schedule of villages from the previous three days a week. (PNA)