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A post shared by KC - also, Kristina. (@itskcconcepcion)

MANILA — Actress KC Concepcion issued a public apology on Friday after taking part in a party in Baguio City, which has drawn backlash amid rising cases of COVID-19.

Concepcion was among the celebrities who attended the January 17 birthday party of events host Tim Yap at The Manor inside Camp John Hay.

• Tim Yap on viral Baguio party: We followed protocols, with goal to promote tourism

A circulating photo taken from the party shows Concepcion posing without a face mask on.

On Instagram, Concepcion paid tribute to “nurses, doctors, frontliners and caregivers who have been working hard since the beginning of last year.”

She shared her personal experience of “still getting used to our new normal,” recalling she “quarantined solo for 3 months.”

For Concepcion, that meant “not leaving my house, trying to be strong home alone to keep myself and others safe, and [having] no one at home to lean on.”

“Mentally, it was taking its toll, which it did on so many of us regular people, but most especially on our frontliners who have been working nonstop to keep our communities safe. Thank you,” she said.

Concepcion emphasized that she agrees “that keeping a mask on and not letting our guards down is the least we citizens could do,” before bringing up the controversial Baguio event.

“I personally apologize for not having kept my mask on 100% of the time during a gathering. It has been 2 weeks since then and I hope we can move forward with lessons learned about safety protocols indoors or outdoors when in a crowd. I understand the panic. And I would react in a similar way,” she wrote.

Concepcion, along with Yap and other participants in the event, were fined by the local government of Baguio P1,500 each — P1,000 for not wearing a face mask, and P500 for not observing physical distancing. Among those who were also fined the same amount was Arlene Magalong, wife of Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong.

The Manor was fined a total of P9,000 for its violation of local rules on face masks, physical distancing, as well as new-normal protocols.

• Palace can't stop Magalong; contact tracing czar says resignation 'irrevocable'

Mayor Magalong, who is also the country’s COVID-19 contact tracing czar, has since tendered his resignation from the national appointment.

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A post shared by KC - also, Kristina. (@itskcconcepcion)

“This pandemic situation is tiring on many levels for us all,” Concepcion said in her Friday statement. “We all have our different struggles and ways of coping.”

“There are days that you’re up, and there are days when you’re down. There are days that you’re strong, and days when you fail. But one thing is for sure, we can all learn from everyday experiences, and from each other.”

Imparting lessons learned from the controversy, Concepcion went on: “Nobody is perfect, revenge travel is TRULY a thing, and in as much as we would like to break free from chains and restrictions to try and keep sane, no. We need to travel more responsibly. We need to gather more responsibly. Stay focused and patient.

“We can get through this together. In the meantime, we should take care of our mental health, always, as much as the physical, no matter what ✨ Find things that make you happy. Rest when your mind and body need it. Eat healthy, be active, stay alert.

“As I’ve learned, we can connect with each other and love each other, while still being extra careful for ourselves and one another. I let my guard down for 5 minutes- while I was vigilant 99% of the time, 99% is not enough. Moving forward... Take care out there everyone. We have a long way to go. Tomorrow is a new day.”