BenCab Museum opens after contact tracing

ECO-TRAIL – This Dec 2019 photo shows farm and garden at compound of BenCab Museum in Baguio City. – Rosette Adel  

CULTURE AND ARTS

Rosette Adel

 The BenCab Museum in Baguio City, housing the art collection of National Artist for Visual Arts Benedicto “BenCab” Reyes Cabrera, reopened to the public on August 11.

“We miss having visitors over, so we hope you can visit and enjoy the Museum, the EcoTrail in the BenCab Farm&Garden and a cup of BenCab's Brew and your favorite meals in Café Sabel,” its Facebook page read.

Last week, the museum announced that it would close temporarily due to contact tracing for an individual in the area who tested positive for COVID-19.

BenCab Museum is situated on Asin Road in Tadiangan, Baguio City.

Prior to this, the museum closed for four months from March 17 in compliance with the community quarantine measures of the government.

It only reopened its doors to the public last July 18 and imposed new health and safety measures.

The management requires visitors entering the museum premises to wear face masks, have their temperature checked and to fill out health declaration forms.

“We reserve the right to deny entry to any visitor who refuses to undertake these precautionary measures, shows signs of illness or has a temperature of 37.6ºC and above,” the museum said.

Visitors are also expected to practice physical distancing upon entry while the museum capacity is maintained at below 50% on a room-by-room basis so guests can keep at least one meter away from each other.

In view of this, the museum management has also temporarily halted group tours.

The museum likewise implemented new operation hours which is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Tuesdays to Sundays.

Aside from its art collection, the BenCab Museum also houses outdoor space EcoTrail and Café Sabel. It advised visitors to take guided tours of the BenCab Farm and Garden EcoTrail while diners of the café are encouraged to take the outdoor seats.

The museum’s opening comes almost a month ahead of the planned gradual reopening of tourism in the City of Pines.

Baguio City, already under general community quarantine, last week said it is planning the gradual reopening by September with regulated, controlled entry and the monitored movement of visitors.