Reopening Summer Capital to tourism
>> Wednesday, September 30, 2020
CITY HALL BEAT
Aileen P. Refuerzo
BAGUIO Mayor Benjamin Magalong reconsidered the decision to reimpose liquor ban in the city supposed to take effect last week following findings that unbridled drinking sprees caused the two recent clustering of Covid-19 cases in the city.
Instead of the liquor sale and consumption prohibition, the mayor said the city through the barangays and law enforcement agencies will just intensify monitoring and policing of residents to ensure compliance with health protocols.
"What happened at Slaughterhouse and Ferdinand barangays must not be disregarded but we also have to consider the economic repercussions of implementing another liquor ban at this time when businesses are struggling to recoup their losses," the mayor said.
"We needed to balance our decision and we decided for a win-win solution."
The mayor issued a memorandum directing concerned agencies and barangays to strictly monitor and ensure that people adhere to basic protocols.
Memorandum No. 337-2020 reads:
"Over the weekend, our testing operations resulted in two barangays under hard lockdown, and several others on lockdown for purposes of contact tracing;
"Our Contact Tracing Teams have identified that several of our active cases had attended drinking sessions, shared eating utensils with companions, engaged in prolonged unnecessary social gatherings, and were unable to observe proper social distancing;
"Henceforth, you (PBs) are directed to implement and strictly monitor the public's compliance with our standard health and safety protocols. Exercise all lawful means necessary to ensure that our citizens keep themselves, and each other, well protected and safe from COVID-19 transmission through proper wearing of face masks, practicing basic hand hygiene and cough etiquette, not sharing drinking and eating utensils, and maintaining appropriate physical distancing. During this time of public health emergency, discipline, precaution, and responsible behavior are paramount qualities in our response and mitigation mechanisms, and these shall be applied first and foremost in our barangay communities."
The mayor further appealed to the public to do their share by not neglecting their responsibility of obeying the Covid-19 safety measures at all times.
"Let us continue to espouse discipline wherever we are and whatever we do. It is our only hope in surviving the virus and moving on with our lives. When we drink, please make sure that we don't overdo it. Drink moderately and be virus-free," he said.
***
The city government wants all business establishments within the central business district physically ready for the reopening of the tourism industry particularly in the implementation of health and safety protocols against Covid-19.
To ensure this, Mayor Magalong said the city will require all establishments to employ corrective measures to rectify violations and deficiencies in their structures.
Last Sept. 18, the city and business owners agreed to close the 14 buildings along Mabini St. to give them time to improve their facilities and ensure compliance with the Covid health and safety measures to ensure safety of both their workers and clients.
City Buildings and Architecture Office led by Arch. Johnny Degay who was tasked by the mayor to oversee the closure and compliance with the corrective measures said the owners of the buildings and their tenants agreed to the scheme and adapted makeover work in their business areas by clearing all kinds of obstructions to allow ample spaces for human traffic in their entrances and alleys.
Unnecessary signages should also be removed or replaced with appropriate and presentable ones compliant with the approved protocols.
As of Sept. 24, 75 percent of the establishments have complied and have reopened, Degay said.
After Mabini, the same method will be implemented in other streets at the central business district namely Assumption Road, Upper and Lower Mabini, Session Road, among others.
The city had launched the tourism reopening program to cater first to tourists from Region 1. Target date of allowing entry will be on Oct. 1.
This is part of the thrust towards the calibrated rebooting of the city’s economy which is largely dependent on the tourism industry to bounce back from the losses wrought by the health crisis.
BAGUIO Mayor Benjamin Magalong reconsidered the decision to reimpose liquor ban in the city supposed to take effect last week following findings that unbridled drinking sprees caused the two recent clustering of Covid-19 cases in the city.
Instead of the liquor sale and consumption prohibition, the mayor said the city through the barangays and law enforcement agencies will just intensify monitoring and policing of residents to ensure compliance with health protocols.
"What happened at Slaughterhouse and Ferdinand barangays must not be disregarded but we also have to consider the economic repercussions of implementing another liquor ban at this time when businesses are struggling to recoup their losses," the mayor said.
"We needed to balance our decision and we decided for a win-win solution."
The mayor issued a memorandum directing concerned agencies and barangays to strictly monitor and ensure that people adhere to basic protocols.
Memorandum No. 337-2020 reads:
"Over the weekend, our testing operations resulted in two barangays under hard lockdown, and several others on lockdown for purposes of contact tracing;
"Our Contact Tracing Teams have identified that several of our active cases had attended drinking sessions, shared eating utensils with companions, engaged in prolonged unnecessary social gatherings, and were unable to observe proper social distancing;
"Henceforth, you (PBs) are directed to implement and strictly monitor the public's compliance with our standard health and safety protocols. Exercise all lawful means necessary to ensure that our citizens keep themselves, and each other, well protected and safe from COVID-19 transmission through proper wearing of face masks, practicing basic hand hygiene and cough etiquette, not sharing drinking and eating utensils, and maintaining appropriate physical distancing. During this time of public health emergency, discipline, precaution, and responsible behavior are paramount qualities in our response and mitigation mechanisms, and these shall be applied first and foremost in our barangay communities."
The mayor further appealed to the public to do their share by not neglecting their responsibility of obeying the Covid-19 safety measures at all times.
"Let us continue to espouse discipline wherever we are and whatever we do. It is our only hope in surviving the virus and moving on with our lives. When we drink, please make sure that we don't overdo it. Drink moderately and be virus-free," he said.
***
The city government wants all business establishments within the central business district physically ready for the reopening of the tourism industry particularly in the implementation of health and safety protocols against Covid-19.
To ensure this, Mayor Magalong said the city will require all establishments to employ corrective measures to rectify violations and deficiencies in their structures.
Last Sept. 18, the city and business owners agreed to close the 14 buildings along Mabini St. to give them time to improve their facilities and ensure compliance with the Covid health and safety measures to ensure safety of both their workers and clients.
City Buildings and Architecture Office led by Arch. Johnny Degay who was tasked by the mayor to oversee the closure and compliance with the corrective measures said the owners of the buildings and their tenants agreed to the scheme and adapted makeover work in their business areas by clearing all kinds of obstructions to allow ample spaces for human traffic in their entrances and alleys.
Unnecessary signages should also be removed or replaced with appropriate and presentable ones compliant with the approved protocols.
As of Sept. 24, 75 percent of the establishments have complied and have reopened, Degay said.
After Mabini, the same method will be implemented in other streets at the central business district namely Assumption Road, Upper and Lower Mabini, Session Road, among others.
The city had launched the tourism reopening program to cater first to tourists from Region 1. Target date of allowing entry will be on Oct. 1.
This is part of the thrust towards the calibrated rebooting of the city’s economy which is largely dependent on the tourism industry to bounce back from the losses wrought by the health crisis.
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