Landslides disrupt travel in Benguet as Baguio tourism slowly recovers

Travel remains difficult along several roads in Benguet due to landslides triggered by bad weather, while businesses in Baguio City are slowly recovering as tourists return.

In Tublay, Benguet, motorists have been enduring long queues and extended waiting times as the Governor Bado Dangwa National Road remains closed due to a landslide.

According to a report by Vonne Aquino on "24 Oras Weekend" on Saturday, a long line of vehicles was seen along the road at around 3 p.m., with some motorists saying they had waited 30 minutes to an hour to pass through the Suyok-Posos Provincial Road, which is being used as an alternate route.

Traffic along the provincial road is being managed on a stop-and-go basis to allow vehicles to pass alternately.

Some motorists using the route transport agricultural products.

“It's extremely difficult for us here because if you want to go back, you can't. You have to wait until the next day because it's so far,” driver Remando Tulabis said.

Tulabis said a trip that normally takes about 20 minutes via the Governor Bado Dangwa National Road now takes about an hour using the alternate route.

Some residents have opted to walk to their destinations because of the road closure.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) continued clearing operations in the area, using heavy equipment to remove soil and debris and load them onto trucks.

In Atok, several roads were also damaged by landslides and remain impassable.

Among the affected roads is the Paway-Olis-Bosleng Road in Barangay Paway, where large cracks were seen on the pavement.

Footage from the Atok Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office showed a large portion of the road that had collapsed due to a landslide.

The local government deployed heavy equipment to clear the affected road following an inspection.

The local government also urged residents and motorists to exercise extreme caution in high-risk areas.

Meanwhile, businesses in Baguio City are slowly recovering after weeks of rain forced some establishments to close.

At the Go-Kart Rental in Burnham Park, operations have recovered to about 40% of their usual level, according to employee Jose Carl.

“Last week, we were practically closed the whole week because it kept raining. Now, somehow, we're able to recover,” he said.

Tourists have also started returning to the city, including senior citizens who traveled from Mindanao to escape the heat.

“It’s really hot in Cagayan in Mindanao. We know the weather here—it’s cold and rainy,” tourist Liza Loyola said.

Some returning Filipinos and tourists from Pampanga also pushed through with their Baguio trips despite the weather because their visits had already been scheduled.

“Regardless, rain or shine, we’ll continue,” tourist Charlotte Lugue said, adding that her friend group had not seen one another for several years.

Gary Florendo said his group also decided to continue with their trip because of a tight schedule and because it was the first time for some of the children to visit Baguio.

However, souvenir shops continued to feel the impact of sluggish tourist activity.

Business owner Thelma Tabifranca said fewer customers were visiting her store compared with previous periods, prompting her to reduce the amount of merchandise she ordered.

“Before, at this time of day, there would already be people. Now, hardly anyone comes into the store,” she said. — MCG, GMA News