BAGUIO CITY — Police have installed tarpaulins at the iconic Lion’s Head along Kennon Road to enforce a new directive from Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla aimed at easing traffic congestion.
The order seeks to prohibit vehicles from stopping and tourists from taking photos at the landmark, which Remulla identified as a primary cause of significant delays in the area.
Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong clarified that the city is not banning photography itself, but rather the illegal parking and stopping of vehicles near the site.
“It is the stopping of vehicles near the landmark that is strictly prohibited,” Magalong said, noting that the measure is intended to keep the narrow mountain highway clear.
However, the move has drawn criticism from local leaders and business owners. Former Baguio Mayor and community leader Mauricio G. Domogan argued that picture-taking should be allowed, provided safety and security measures are maintained.
Domogan suggested that authorities should focus on comprehensive traffic flow improvements rather than a ban at the site.
Local vendors, whose businesses depend on tourists stopping at the landmark, say the restrictions are already hurting their income.