Itogon Mayor Requests Mayor Magalong to Recall Temporary Restricted Access Advisory

Today, November 3, 2020 (Tuesday), Atty. Victorio Palangdan, Mayor of the Municipality of Itogon, Benguet, has signed Resolution No. 351, S. 2020, a “Resolution requesting Honorable Benjamin B. Magalong, City Mayor, Baguio City, to recall his advisory on temporary restricted access between Baguio City and the Municipality of Itogon”.

In a post of the Public Information Office – City of Baguio on November 2, 2020, Mayor Magalong has issued an advisory recommending the restriction of access between Baguio City and Itogon due to the high current positivity rate of the virus during the last week of October 2020 that been agreed after thorough discussions with Mayor Palangdan.

“The community ties and proximity presents a predicamnet as our access to and from each other cannot simply be closed, and yet certain measures must be made to mitigate transmission of COVID-19 not just within each LGU but also within the circle of BLISTT.”

“After thorough discussions with Mayor Victorio Palangdan, it has been agreed that Baguio will temporarily restrict ingress and egress into the City for residents of Itogon.”

– PIO Baguio Advisory

Another reason given by the City Mayor is for the Municipality of Itogon to recalibrate the COVID response measures as the municipality continues its expanded testing operation.

The temporary restriction took effect today at 12 NN to November 15, 2020 (Sunday).

Residents needing medical attention, workers and Authorized Personnel out of Residence (APORs) are allowed entry or exit provided they present the said required documents upon checkpoint.

The 10th Municipal Council understands the predicament of the City of Baguio in protecting its people, mentioned in the resolution. But it was also revealed that the Municipal Health Office with the help of the Province of Benguet, Private Institutions, and NGOs are trying hard to stabilize the situation in the two barangays where the cases surge.

“As of November 2, 2020 at 6PM, the seven (7) barangays out of the barangays of the Municipality of Itogon have 49 active cases combined which is within the average number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in other Municipalities that are near the City of Baguio.

The 10th Municipal Council strongly believes that the Advisory of the City Mayor is discriminatory in nature as it is focused only on the people of the Municipality of Itogon.”

– Resolution No. 351, S. 2020

Itogon is located in very close proximity to the City of Baguio and its people have considered the Baguio City as the source of basic and essential needs. Thus, further stated in the resolution, “the temporary restriction on the entry of the people of Itogon to the City of Baguio poses an additional burden for the people of Itogon.”

“The Officialdom of the Municipality of Itogon, is humbly requesting the Office of the City Mayor, Honorable Benjamin b. Magalong to recall his advisory on temporary restricted access between Baguio City and the Municipality of Itogon.”

– Resolution No. 351, S. 2020

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Source: Victorio T. Palangdan| Municipal Mayor of Itogon