DUE to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, City Tourism Officer Aloysius Mapalo has revealed that the city’s plans for tourism in the coming April and the Holy Week are to be “low-key”.
According to Mapalo, the city is planning on fewer crowd-drawing activities and will instead focus on events with less formal ceremonies, and will be holding activities outdoors where possible to avoid crowding.
“That is the reason why many activities are being conducted outdoors, and when they are held indoors, we suggest that they have to allow even less than the minimum requirement. As it is now, we are allowed thirty percent of the capacity of the venue, but if we can lower it, it’s even better,” Mapalo said.
Instead of a formal program for the coming Araw ng Kagitingan in April, Mapalo said that the city will instead focus on the maintenance and upkeep of the city’s various monuments.
“We will not be having formal ceremonies for the civic activities. Instead, we will commemorate by rehabilitating and beautifying our monuments of our heroes,” Mapalo said.
At the same time, the Baguio diocese is also looking to have more toned-down activities for the coming Holy Week.
Instead of a procession, the diocese will be holding a motorcade that does not involve the participation of the crowds in order to lower the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
Meanwhile, the annual Lucky Summer Visitor program has been postponed due to the fact that chosen visitors, selected through an online Baguio-themed photography contest held by the city, are from the National Capital Region which has become subject to quarantine restrictions once more.
