Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat stated that the country’s tourism stakeholders are closely watching Baguio City and the Ilocos Region, popularly known as the Solid North, on the effective and efficient execution of the establishment of the tourism bubble to gradually open the heavily-impacted economy.
Speaking before local chief executives of Baguio City and Region I during their initial meeting on how to implement the planned put up of the tourism corridor held at the Baguio Country Club (BCC) Ballroom Tuesday, Secretary Puyat pointed out that the success of the Baguio-Region I tourism bubble will definitely be used as a template in the re-opening of the tourism industry in other parts of the country to address the urgent needs of employees in tourism-related establishments that ceased operations during the implementation of the community quarantine.
“Tourism will open cautiously, slowly and safely, so that we can strike a balance between the health and safety of the people and the economy because of the growing need of the people for sustainable jobs,” Secretary Puyat stressed.
She said that the tourism department fully supports the initiative of Baguio and Region I local chief executives to work together in finding ways on how to gradually open the economy for the benefit of the displaced workers needing income to support the living condition of their families that were impacted by the strict community guidelines.
Puyat also witnessed the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) among the involved local chief executives that galvanized the exploratory works leading towards the establishment of the tourism corridor that will initially start with exchange caravans between tourism industry stakeholders from both areas prior to the gradual opening of the identified safe tourist spots for the people from the involved localities.
According to her, the efforts of the local chief executives in Northern Luzon to gradually open the economy through the tourism sector is laudable as it shows their concern for the welfare of their constituents who were heavily impacted by the community quarantine protocols to prevent the spread of the dreaded Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Secretary Puyat emphasized that innovative programs and projects leading towards the gradual and regulated opening of the tourism industry, especially in Northern Luzon, are important so that the re-opening of the economy could start somewhere and pave the way for the availability of jobs for the displaced workers raring to go back to work.
Aside from Secretary Puyat, other tourism officials who were in town to witness the MOU signing were Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Chief Operating Officer Maria Antonette Velasco Allones and Intramuros Administrator Atty. Guiller Asido.
Present during the MOU signing were Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong, Ilocos Sur 2nd District Rep. Kristine Singsong-Meehan, Ilocos Sur Gov. Ryan Luis Singson, Ilocos Norte Gov. Mathew Marcos Manotoc, Pangasinan Gov. Amado I. Espino III, DOT Region I regional director Joseph Francisco Ortega, who also represented La Union Gov. Francisco Emmanuel Ortega and DOT-CAR officer-in-charge Jovy Ganongan. By Dexter A. See