Banaue also turns away SONA video team

MANILA, Philippines — After the Sagada municipal government, local officials in Banaue did not allow the team of movie director Joyce Bernal to take video footage of the local scenery, which will be used as backdrop for President Duterte’s State of the Nation Address.

Capt. Rodolfo Pateg, Banaue police chief, said members of the local inter-agency task force on coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 prevented Bernal and her team from entering the town on Monday, citing an executive order (EO) issued by Mayor John Raymund Dulawan.

The EO, which prohibits travel to and from Banaue from July 3 to 10, was issued after new cases were reported in nearby Hingyon, Lagawe, Lamut and Tinoc towns in Ifugao.

Bernal and her team, including actor Piolo Pascual, who were supposed to go to Barangay Batad to take videos of the rice terraces, presented documents from the presidential broadcast staff Radio-TV Malacañang.

Fateg said Bernal’s vehicle, which was escorted by the police to the boundary arch, drove toward Lagawe.

On Sunday, Bernal’s team was prevented from taking video footage of the local scenery in Sagada.

Sagada remains COVID-free. The entire Mountain Province has only one case.

Also in Mountain Province, Bontoc Mayor Franklin Odsey barred the return of locally stranded individuals in Barangay Bayyo until July 20.

Odsey ordered the ban on returnees, noting that they outnumber barangay health workers and personnel of the municipal health office.

He also cited limited quarantine facilities in the town.