Defer travel to Banaue, tourists advised

MANILA, Philippines — Tourists have been advised to defer their visit to Banaue, which has been hit by flash floods and mudslides.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) said road clearing operations are ongoing while many hotels affected by flooding and mudslides are still being cleaned.

Supply of electricity and communication lines remain erratic, it added.

The Banaue Hotel and Youth Hostel, which is managed by the DOT, was isolated as landslides blocked the service access road and affected the main entrance and parking lot, the DOT said in a statement.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco directed Mark Lapid, chief of the DOT’s Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), to stop accepting visitors in the meantime to ensure the safety of guests and workers.

No guest at the 81-room hotel, which is owned and operated by TIEZA, was injured in the landslides.

TIEZA personnel have been sent to Banaue to assess the damage sustained by the hotel as well as those in other areas.

Frasco offered the assistance of the DOT in transporting stranded tourists.

Meanwhile, non-government organization Angat Buhay said it mobilized partners to support families affected by flooding in Banaue.

”Our partner, the Isabela-Quirino Development Council, was the first volunteer group to respond and handed out food packs and cooked meals to affected families,” the group said.

Army soldiers are supporting volunteer groups, it said.

Three persons were injured and around 500 families or 1,500 residents of six barangays were affected by flash floods on Thursday.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said more than 300 houses were damaged and two were destroyed. – Janvic Mateo