Baguio opens doors to Luzon

Baguio City – The Summer Capital of the Philippines is now ready to accept tourists from Luzon once again.

In a social media post, Baguio City mayor Benjamin Magalong said that he has opened the doors of the city to tourists coming from the entire Luzon following earlier restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The city’s Public Information Office, on the other hand, said that its “Ridge and Reef program” would now be expanded to cater to travelers from all of Luzon starting 22 October and only 290 visitors per day will be allowed.

“The tourism program coverage expansion was recommended by the Baguio Tourism Council and the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio and concurred with by city health officials subject to observance of health and safety protocols against Coronavirus disease,” said the Baguio PIO.

Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism (DoT) welcomed the city government’s decision and cited that the anticipated influx of tourists would spur swifter recovery of the tourism industry.

DoT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said that the new health and safety measures will be finalized together with the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Technical Working Group (TWG).

She added that the documentary requirements will also be relaxed in the so-called Baguio Visitor Information and Travel Assistance or VIS.I.T.A program, which has received 2,000 registrations and some 200 travel requests since it was launched on 22 September.