Tourist rest area to rise near Baguio’s lion head

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — A tourist rest area will be constructed at the entrance of Baguio, near the image of the lion’s head on Kennon Road, officials said yesterday.

The city government has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) and the Department of Tourism (DOT) for the construction of the facility.

The rest area will have a pasalubong center, information counter, view deck and toilets for visitors wanting to take a break from the road trip before entering or exiting the city.

The project is expected to boost the local tourism industry, which was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The MOA was signed by Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco and TIEZA chief operating officer Mark Lapid at the Baguio Country Club yesterday afternoon.

Magalong said that once completed, the tourist rest area would help revive the city’s tourism industry.

The project will be funded by the TIEZA, which will provide P7 million for the construction of the facility.

The city government will contribute P5 million in counterpart funds.

Frasco said the DOT also broke ground for the construction of a similar tourist facility in Bukidnon, Davao del Norte and Cebu and now in Baguio.

She said Bohol and Ilocos Norte would also have their own tourist rest areas.