THE popular tourist destination of Sagada in Mountain Province will remain closed to tourism and other non-essential travel for the next few months.
According to a statement by Sagada Mayor James Pooten, tourism and other non-essential travel to Sagada will remain closed until a partial reopening of the town in the coming September.
Despite the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) advisory that vaccination cards from fully-vaccinated persons can be used instead of negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results, Pooten said that the city will only accept them from returning residents, authorized persons outside of residence (APORs) with official business in Sagada, and essential travelers who can provide documentation of their travel necessities.
“They will not be required to present a negative test result but they must have with them their original vaccination card,” he said.
Sagada has been closed to tourists and other non-essential travel since March, following heightened lockdown protocols across the country.
At the height of the lockdowns, Sagada’s local government has even called on returning residents to hold off on their return to the town to avoid the potential entry of COVID-19 into the town.
