Sagada, Banaue reject entry of Pascual, Bernal to shoot in tourist towns for Du30’s Sona

Actor Piolo Pascual (2nd from Left ) during his visit in Sagada to celebrate his 41st birthday last January 2018 in  conjunction with the launching of the stage roofing he donated to Sagada Central School

By Gina Dizon    

SAGADA, Mountain Province – Officials of Sagada and Banaue, Ifugao barred Monday and Tuesday an entourage of actor Piolo Pascual and film director Joyce Bernal from filming in the tourist towns to be used for President Duterte’s state of the nation address (SONA) third week of July.

Both Sagada mayors James ‘Payko’ Pooten Jr. and John Wesley Dulawan of Ifugao said this was needed to protect their constituents’ health and lives.

Pascual and Bernal’s team who came from Metro Manila arrived in Sagada morning of July 5 accompanied by police escorts.

This alarmed local officials forcing the local inter agency task force (IATF) to convene an emergency meeting that afternoon with Bernal telling her their advance team should leave Sagada within 24 hours due to danger of afflicting local folks with Covid-19.  

Officer in Charge and Vice Mayor Felicito Dula, who heads the local IATF in a letter to Fern Castro, coordinator of Bernal’s team, said the health and safety of the town’s constituents were crucial and needed to be ensured.

The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act provides local government units (LGUs) local autonomy in addressing Covid-19 guided by national guidelines and in matters undefined by national government.

Accompanied by police, the team left town 10 a.m. of June 6 after spending the night at Cellar Door,a brewery establishment registered with the municipal LGU.

They presented health and Malacanang documents allowing them to make videos during their travel.  

But the Sagada IATF, in a letter to Bernal’s group cited Sangguniang Bayan resolution No 110 series of 2020 governing tourism commerce and industry in Sagada during the covid-19 pandemic.

This included closure and suspension of tourism activities such as booking of guests  by establishments, all tourist sites  and other concerns related to tourism and non-entry of non-residents to the town coming from ‘red areas’.

Metro Manila where the team came from is a ‘red’ district area with 20,100 Covid-19 infected persons and 865 deaths as of July 5.

Local officials said the team reportedly entered to Sagada showing a letter to local officials from Malacanang Presidential Broadcast Staff-RTVM authorizing the travel of 14 persons to start production of video for the SONA signed by Dennis Wilfred Pabalan, PBS-RTVM executive director.

Five composed the advanced party with the remaining nine who were scheduled to arrive that night

The team was escorted by RTVM and outside police who were met by Sagada municipal police and later guided to Cellar Door.

Marina Biag former president of the Sagada Inns and Homestays Association (SIHA) said there was an understanding among inns and homestays that they will not reopen while the Covid-19 pandemic was a threat.

Biag said she did not know of any inn or homestay which had a permit to operate.

The Department of Tourism in its Administrative Order 2020-002 provides, “all accommodation establishments that intend to commence commercial operations in community quarantine zones, whether for the accommodation of guests or operation of in-house food facilities for takeout or delivery services, shall secure a DOT Certificate of Authority to Operate prior to any operations.”

In said AO, “limited operations are observed under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) where accommodation establishments may undertake normal operations under MGCQ and may accommodate bookings of all guests, whether for work or leisure; provided, that operations shall be at 50% operational capacity only.”

Sagada is now under MGCQ status and has suspended tourism activities to include booking of guests in inns and homestays.

Cellar Door is not registered with the municipal government as a homestay, inn or resto.

In his reply to Facebook when asked why Pascual was accomodated at Cellar Door, manager Andrew Chinalpan said Pascual and Bernal were friends so he and his wife accommodated them to their house.

When news of Bernal and Pascual’s visit went viral on Facebook, Sagada netizens said they can’t go home due to protocols even if they wanted to since they wanted to keep Sagada safe from Covid.

Others said if they travelled back home, but were subjected to quarantine for 14 days before they rejoined their families.

“Why the preference for Bernal's team to enter Sagada even without quarantine,” one asked.

Said team was earlier booked at Sagada Heritage Village at Sitio Sumaguing a few meters from the famed cave but the latter eventually declined for they to stay which led the team to proceed to Cellar Door.

Municipal disaster risk reduction management council officer Aida Abeya said the LGU headed by Sagada Mayor James Pooten Jr and she as MDRRMC officer with task to check on entries in town denied the entry of Pascual and group in an earlier verbal communication on July 3.

Abeya said she told them they have to subject themselves to a 14- day quarantine as required by municipal rules if they persist in staying.      

Bernal’s team sent an email on July 3 after office hours stating their request to gain entry to town and allow them to shoot video materials despite the denial of their verbal communication on their entry and shooting.

Abeya said she was shocked when she learned that Pascual and four others were already in Sagada morning of July 5 and the rest to be arriving night of the same day which prompted the local IATF to meet and talk with Bernal.

Asked what documents the team was carrying to allow them entry to Sagada, PNP information officer Raffy Pinayakan said a letter from PBS-TRVM was shown them.

Pinayakan said the team was escorted by police detailed outside Sagada. Sagada, which has no Covid case had been following lockdown systems and 14-day quarantine protocols.

Right after leaving Sagada on July 6, the team proceeded to Banaue, Ifugao and were met at Mt. Polis at the boundary of Mountain Province and Ifugao.

They were denied to stay in Banaue when they requested permission to shoot in Barangay Battad.Banaue Mayor John Wesley Dulawan said  town police escorted them out from the town up to the boundary of Mt. Amganad.

This, even if they presented documents from Malacanang they earlier presented to Sagada officials. According to Banaue police, the group travelled on to Baguio City after the incident.

As of Tuesday morning, the Baguio City government did not comment on the matter and whether they will allow the group to stay in the city      

The team was scheduled to visit Sagada and Bontoc towns of Mt. Province; Banaue, Ifugao; Kalinga, Abra and Baguio City.