WITH the anticipated increase in the number of tourists this coming Holy Week, the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) assured its readiness in maintaining peace and order, security and the implementation of health protocols to combat Covid-19.

Colonel Rae Allen Co, BCPO city director, said in a media briefing that although issuance and processing of travel authority were already stopped, travelers should still undergo registration through the visita.baguio.gov.ph portal, including triage procedures.

“I was in a meeting recently with the Baguio Tourism Council headed by the Mayor Benjamin Magalong and we are rationalizing the protocols of the city to make it easier especially for the residents to enter the city. For our neighbors in the La Trinidad, Itogon, Sabangan, Tuba and a Tublay area or Listt, what is required from them is to register or they have to submit a copy of their health declaration form (HDF),” Co said.

“Covid-19 cases may have risen in the country and one of the reasons cited is the availability of the vaccines but we have to remember that not everyone has been vaccinated but it gave a false sense of security to the people, wherein the people have relaxed. Let us not forget the strict observance of the minimum health protocols even as we may all soon be vaccinated. All in all, the implementation and intensity of implementing our checkpoints will remain the same,” Co said.

The City Tourism Office recorded around 66,000 tourists who registered at the visita portal.

“I have instructed all our officers concerned, including our substations for us to be able to prepare for the expected influx of tourists but from what I understand, there is still a daily limit in the number of tourists that will be allowed to enter the city based on the information coming from the City Tourism Office who will inform me for their triage so that their entry is managed and they will be given a schedule in their arrival here in the city and they will be divided at 3,000 to 3,600 per day for the whole month,” Co added.

Ten quarantine checkpoints of BCPO remain active.