Cops told to prepare for revival of local tourism in their areas

Police commanders across the country were ordered to coordinate with their respective Local Government Units (LGUs) for the possible revival of the local tourism in their respective areas, the Joint Task Force COVID Shield said on Thursday.
 
Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, commander of JTF COVID Shield, said some LGUs may have already been motivated by the decision of the LGUs of Baguio City and Tagaytay City to open their borders for local tourism.
 
But unlike in Tagaytay City, Baguio City opted to accommodate only 200 tourists a day. Baguio City Mayor Benjie Magalong, however, said that they may increase the number of tourists in the coming days.
 
Boracay, on the other hand, is set to open for local tourists on October 1.
 
“Early planning is essential in the success of local tourism. As police commanders, we have the obligation to ensure that there must be a balance between the revival of the local economy and the health safety of the people in this time of pandemic,” said Eleazar.
 
Eleazar said the move is for both the local police and the LGUs to have enough time to prepare for the security and health safety of both the local residents and the tourists.
 
He stressed that spurring the local tourism is inevitable despite the continuous threat of COVID-19 in order for both local and national government to revive the economy that was severely affected by the pandemic for more than six months now.
 
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, however, stressed that local tourism must always be in line with the existing guideline of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) and the National Task Force on COVID-19.
 
Based on the IATF Guideline, only areas under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) and lower quarantine status are allowed to open their borders to tourists.
 
Eleazar said police commanders should be involved in the planning of the local tourism in order to ensure that both the security and health safety of the residents and tourists would be guaranteed.
 
“We leave it to the LGUs to craft and implement plans for their respective local tourisms. Local police commanders, however, must ensure that they are always updated in the planning and implementation,” said Eleazar.