Livelihood, tourism back in Abra town

DANGLAS, Abra – Livelihood amid the Covid-19 pandemic is now being restored in this town including tourism with help from national government agencies. 

The local government unit has partnered with Departments of Social Welfare and Development for “cash for work for women,”Agriculture and Public Works and Highways for their projects, and Labor and Employment for special program of the employment of students.

Mayor Denise Florence Bernos-Bragas bared this to  Presidential Communications and Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar in the Laging Handa Network News on Aug. 13. 

Tourism is also back though at only 50%.  

Aside from farming, tourism is a source of livelihood in Danglas, also called the “little Baguio City of the Province” due to its pine forests. 

“Our municipality is a boundary area of Ilocos Norte and Abra where local tourists within the province and the province of Ilocos Norte usually stop by for a visit in our tourism spots.

However, we are not yet fully re-opening our tourism activities as a precautionary measure against Covid-19 spread,” she said. 

Bragas said the town government gave  weekly “ayuda” and cash assistance to Danglas folks during imposition of enhanced community quarantine.

To prevent influx of people in the municipal market, the local government started a rolling market that brings goods including  vegetables, meat, fish and fruits  to barangays..

During the general community quarantine, the mayor said the local govnerment gave food packs and hygiene kits to people every other week.

The LGU provided food packs to all households under lockdown.

Areas of residence of confirmed Covid patients were put in lockdown to facilitate contact tracing and disinfection.

At present, no active cases of Covid-19 were reported with recovery of   four patients.

There was one death recorded, an elderly locally stranded individual. 

Bragas said the call for vigilance, cooperation and sense of responsibility especially in the observance of minimum health protocols such as limiting movement (no leisure travels), observing social distancing,  proper hygiene (frequent hand wash with soap, alcohol or sanitizer) and use of face mask/face shield whenever we go out to prevent the further spread of Covid-19 in the municipality and in the province. -- PIA Abra