Baguio, Region 1 provinces set to begin northern tourism bubble on Sept. 21

MANILA - Baguio City and four other provinces in Region 1 will reopen their doors to local tourists starting Sept. 21.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said they, along with local chief executives of Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union, and Pangasinan have agreed to restart their tourism industry on the said date. 

“We’re going to open up our tourism industry but we will limit it dito sa coastal areas dito sa kapitbahay namin sa (in coastal areas in our neighboring) Region 1, parts of Region 2 and the entire Cordillera,” said Magalong.

In an interview on ABS-CBN's Teleradyo on Wednesday, Magalong said they signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote the tourism corridor in northern Luzon.

“Doon namin pag-aaralan. Hindi namin puwedeng bibiglain. It will be very cautious, gradual, calibrated opening para kung sakaling magkaroon tayo ng konting set back, madaling umatras,” he said.

(We will study it, we will not rush. It will be very cautious, gradual, calibrated opening so that in case we have a set back, it's easy to backtrack.)

Magalong said they will use the VIS.I.T.A app or the Visitors Information and Tourist Assistance app to manage the arrival of tourists.

He added that they will be working closely with the Department of Tourism and the private sector, particularly tour operators to control and manage the visiting tourists. Tourists also need to subject themselves to either a swab test or antigen test.

“Most probably, kung kami ay natuto na rito, ibig sabihin na-manage namin 'yung tourism bubble with the coastal provinces, that’s the time we will expand it to the other regions like Regions 3, NCR, 4A and Visayas and Mindanao,” he said.

(Most probably, once we get learnings from this, that would mean we were able to manage the tourism bubble with coastal provinces, that's the time we will expand it to other regions like Regions 3, NCR (Metro Manila), 4A (Calabarzon), and Visayas and Mindanao