WITH the enhanced border control, fewer individuals are going out of La Trinidad–Itogon–Sablan–Tuba–Tublay (LISTT) areas.
Colonel Elmer Ragay, Benguet Provincial Police Office (PPO) director, on Friday, December 18, 2020, clarified checkpoints were already established in different areas since the enhanced community quarantine was imposed.
“Based on record for the past two days of implementation since December 16, individuals going out of LISTT areas decreased due to awareness of the stricter border control guidelines (obtaining travel documents) from authorized agencies. Only essential travels and with complete travel requirements are allowed passage,” Ragay added.
The provincial director explained the police man in the different checkpoints already denied entry to individuals coming in to the LISTT areas with no appropriate Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) required documents.
“For two days of implementation (December 16 and 17), a total of 42 violations were recorded. Hence, they were denied entry in LISTT,” Ragay said.
Thirteen individuals on December 16 and 29 persons on December 17 were recorded with expired travel authority and no health certificate.
He added there are commuters who were denied entry, but there were no resistance and violent reactions, saying their implementation of the border control is going smoothly.
“In a general sense, limited na iyong galaw ng tao, wala na iyong for purposes na mamasyal lang, personal na lakad. At least all movements right now are focused on essential activities,” Ragay said.
For the La Trinidad, Itogon, Tuba, Tublay and Sablan towns, the Benguet PPO director said 12 quarantine control checkpoints are in place to implement the IATF guidelines on health protocols.
He added there are about 19 control points within Benguet province, wherein 12 are manned on a 24/7 time basis and seven are manned at random.
Checkpoints in the province are placed along borders with Baguio City and other provinces.
In a joint advisory signed by Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong, La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda, Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan, Sablan Mayor Manuel Munar, Tuba Mayor Clarita Sal-ongan, Tublay Mayor Armando Lauro, the officials decided to implement a temporary enhanced border regulation between Baguio-LISTT areas.
From December 16 to 22 at the border checkpoints, Baguio and LISTT stakeholders are enjoined to present valid government identification (ID) cards as proof of residence together with health declaration forms, while health workers, uniformed personnel, members of the city/provincial/municipal contact tracing teams and Covid-19 task force and personnel in local government units and agency offices need to present only valid government IDs.
Cargo, logistics services and service providers for water, electricity, telecommunications and waste management utilities will continue to be given unhampered passage through checkpoints.
Department of Health–Cordillera Administrative Region data showed that over 80 percent of the total Covid-19 confirmed cases and Covid-related deaths in the region were from the BLISTT area.
To prevent the spread of the virus in Baguio City and the five Benguet towns, it was recommended that there should be enhanced border restrictions.