Panagbenga opening parade cancelled due to nCoV

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Citing public health and safety concerns due to the threat of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), the city government here cancelled the opening parade of the Panagbenga Festival today.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong announced the cancellation of the event at a press conference yesterday after meeting with officials of the city health services, education and tourism offices as well as the organizer of the Baguio Flower Festival.

The opening parade is supposed to be a sneak peek of the grand float and street parades on Feb. 29 and March 1, respectively.

Magalong had earlier suspended classes for today’s opening parade, which draws thousands of tourists.

“It was a collective decision based on latest developments,”Andrew Pinero, spokesman for the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc., said.

”We find it prudent to wait for further developments before making decisions on the highlights of the festival,” Pinero added.

An online petition to cancel the Panagbenga Festival amid the nCoV scare has 15,000 signatories as of Thursday night. The petitioners also called for a lockdown of this city as a precautionary measure against nCoV.

”We all have the right to  panic. This... government still opens its doors to tourists,” the petition read.

When asked if the Panagbenga grand float and street parades would also be cancelled, Magalong said “we will wait how things would evolve in the next three weeks.”

He called on the public to take precautionary and pro-active measures against nCoV.

Mass gathering

Magalong said ”high-density population gathering activities” scheduled this month, including the Cordillera Regional Athletic Association competition, are also cancelled.

Also put on hold are the ”pedestrianization” or opening of a portion of Session Road exclusively for pedestrians during Sundays and certain art activities.

Face masks

In Angeles City, Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. ordered the distribution of face masks to city hall employees to prevent the spread of nCoV. He said hand sanitizers should also be placed in strategic areas at the city hall. 

Lazatin met with doctors, nurses and staff of the Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center to ensure that hospital facilities and equipment are available in case NCoV is detected in the city.

“Our... Facebook page will be active to continuously post infographics on how to protect ourselves against the virus, “ he said.

Ukay-ukay

Meanwhile, Customs Commissioner Leonardo Rey Guerrero ordered the Zamboanga district office to intensify monitoring of shipments of goods  from neighboring countries with nCoV cases.

Guerrero issued the directive after seven nCoV cases were reported in Malaysia.

He said they are particularly concerned about used clothing popularly known as ukay-ukay, which could carry the virus.

The Bureau of Quarantine and Department of Health have intensified screening of Malaysian passengers at various ports in Mindanao.

 “While it is our routine task to check the goods, with this alert our efforts are more intensified to ensure that the  public is safe,” Guerrero said. – With Roel Pareño, Ric Sapnu