Saving and generating tourism-related jobs was the primary consideration of the government when it allowed Baguio City to reopen its doors to visitors subject to health and safety measures, Malacañang said Sunday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque explained that the government wanted to balance the protection of livelihood with that of public health even though Baguio City has been placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) this month.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) recently approved the request of the Baguio City government for its hotels and other accommodation establishments to accept leisure travelers even while under the GCQ.

Health and safety protocols and contract tracing measures, however, must still be observed by the city's visitors. 

The resumption of hotel operations in  Baguio City was contained in IATF Resolution No. 98 issued after a meeting via video conference on Feb. 4.

"Well, ang totoo niyan po ay talagang binabalanse po ng IATF iyong pagpigil sa pagkalat ng COVID at saka iyong panghanapbuhay ng ating mga kababayan (Well, the truth is the IATF is really balancing efforts to halt of the spread of COVID and promote the livelihood of our people)," Roque said over DZBB Sunday, Feb. 7.

"Bagama’t nandiyan pa po iyong banta na paparami ang kaso ng COVID ay minabuti pa rin natin na balansehin nga po, dahil kung isasarado muli ang turismo ng Baguio ay iyan po iyong pinakamalaking pinagkukuhanan ng pagkikita sa hanapbuhay ng mga taga-Baguio, ang turismo (Although the threat of increase in COVID cases is there, we decided it would be good to strike a balance. Because if we close anew the tourism in Baguio, that is the biggest source of livelihood of the people of Baguio -- tourism)," he added.

According to Roque, Baguio City could take a page from Metro Manila where staycation of local tourists are now allowed. Like Baguio City, MetroManila will remain under GCQ for the month of February.

"Dito naman kasi sa Metro Manila napatunayan natin na bagama’t ECQ (enhanced community quarantine)  at theoretically, wala pa ring turismo ay nakita naman natin na epektibo naman iyong mga staycation natin sa ating mga hotel at basta mag-ingat lang ng ating buhay ay pupuwedeng ipagpatuloy iyong hanapbuhay noong  mga nagtatrabaho sa sektor ng turismo (In Metro Manila, we have proven that despite the ECQ and theoretically there is no tourism yet, we have seen that staycation in hotels are effective. As long as public health is protected, we can resume the livelihood of those working in the tourism sector)," he said.

"Ganyan din po ang rationale sa Baguio. Naipakita naman po ng Baguio ang kanilang kakayahan pagdating po sa tracing (That's the same rationale in Baguio City. Baguio has shown its capability in contract tracing)," he added.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) earlier endorsed Baguio City's request to resume the entry of tourists given its visitor registration and contact tracing system. The summer capital has required visitors to use a “VISITA” account, a QR-coded identification system, to help monitor their movement.

Baguio City and the rest of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) were placed under the strict GCQ this month in a bid to curb the reported surge in cases of coronavirus vaccines. Of the country's 535,521 COVID cases, CAR has posted more than 12,000 cases of infections so far. Around 5,000 cases have been reported in Baguio City.

Other areas under GCQ this month are National Capital Region, Batangas, Tacloban City, Iligan City, Davao del Norte, Davao City, and Lanao del Sur.

The rest of the country will stay under the least restrictive modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) this month.