Mayor not inclined to lift liquor ban in Baguio

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – The local government is not inclined to lift the prevailing liquor ban in the city amidst calls from a number of residents for the same to be lifted the soonest.

            Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said he had been receiving numerous calls from concerned residents for the possible lifting of the existing liquor ban but he is not inclined to grant the said request because the ban has significantly contributed in efforts of the local government to reduce unnecessary gatherings in barangays that might trigger transmission of the Corona Virus Disease (COVID) 2019.

            He added the decision of the local government to impose the citywide liquor ban was a result of calls from concerned sectors in the city to prevent small group gatherings in the different parts of the city and guarantee that most of the residents will comply with the prevailing policy for them to stay at home and that liquor is not among the essential goods that should be sold in the different establishments.

            The local chief executive said there is no decision yet on when the liquor ban will be lifted despite the upcoming lapse of the extended enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) status of the city which will be downgraded to general community quarantine (GCQ) by May 15, 2020.

            Earlier, the local legislative body passed a resolution calling for the immediate imposition of liquor ban in the city following observations from concerned residents on the presence of unnecessary drinking sessions in sari-sari stores in the barangays that serve as a venue for the possible transmission of the deadly virus.

            Subsequently, Magalong issued an order for the imposition of the citywide liquor ban until such time that the same will be lifted because of the possible threat of the spread of the illness in the city.

            According to him, the public should understand that the imposition of the liquor ban is part of the recommended precautionary measures that will prevent the rapid spread of the virus in the community because what is at stake is their health and safety and what is very important is for the people to heed such call from the experts to stay at home while the situation is still uncertain.

            He claimed that the operation of liquor establishments and the serving of liquor will be among the least priorities of the local government when the status of the city will be downgraded to GCQ as the same is not part of the essential goods and that there are other pressing matters that the city should deal with to ensure that whatever were the gains that were achieved during the ECQ will be preserved and protected for the benefit of the residents.

            The city mayor called on the public to understand his decision not to lift the prevailing liquor ban because the same will eventually translate to the welfare of the populace in the long run and that the city will not compromise the health and safety of the residents during the prevalence of the global pandemic.