Sagada to Gradually Open to Tourists; Here are the Guidelines

The Municipality of Sagada is finally opening its doors to visitors. As per Advisory No. 63, Municipal Mayor James Pooten has released the following updated guidelines for tourists who want to visit the Shangri-la of the North, effective immediately.

Guidelines for Entry

1. Tourists must book at least a one-night stay in a DOT-accredited and LGU-certified accommodation establishment. Bookings must be secured at least 2 days prior to arrival. A list of accommodation establishments authorized to operate may be accessed at https://lodging.sagada.gov.ph.

   List of DOT-accredited accommodation establishments:
   – Central Sagada: https://lodging.sagada.gov.ph/accommodations-central/
   – More than 1 kilometer away from the center of town: https://lodging.sagada.gov.ph/accommodation-peripheries/

2. All tourists must be registered in the Umali Kayo Online Registration Portal which may be accessed at https://umali-kayo.sagada.gov.ph.The portal will only be opened from 08:00 AM to 04:00 PM daily and online registration must be accomplished at least 2 days prior to arrival.
3. All tourists are advised to take the Dantay-Sagada road when entering Sagada and the Sagada South Road when exiting.
   Tourists are advised to plan accordingly for their ETA to be between 8:00 AM and 05:00 PM to avoid delays in the checking of entry requirements.
4. All tourists entering Sagada must present a vaccination card or vaccination certificate indicating completion of a vaccine regimen (i.e. full vaccination).

   Those aged 11 and below shall be exempted from this requirement provided that they are accompanied by a parent or a guardian.

5. All tourists entering Sagada must present any (at least one) of the following COVID-19 test results:
   • Negative Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) result issued by a medical government office (MHO/PHO) or a hospital institution, accompanied by the official receipt (OR) of the COVID-testing transaction. RATs will only be valid until the day after the date of testing (1-day validity);
   • Negative RT-PCR test results from a DOH-accredited licensed testing laboratory valid 48 hours since the date of release;
   • Negative RT-PCR saliva test result from the Red Cross valid 48 hours since the date of release.
     Tourists who are not able to present any one of the foregoing testing requirements will be subjected to RAT (at Php 960.00 each) at the Pegeo border control point in Sagada.
6. All tourists will have the option to enter Sagada via personal/private vehicles or public transportation.
   Public transportation groups or corporations shall take the responsibility of checking if a tourist has complied with all requirements imposed by the Sagada LGU prior to boarding. They shall additionally take full responsibility for providing the needs of tourists who are denied entry due to lack of requirements.
7. All tourists shall undergo triage at the Pegeo border control point. Symptomatic tourists shall be immediately subjected to RAT. RAT-positive tourists shall have the option to be confined in an isolation facility within Sagada or to return home immediately.
   If a tourist onboard a public transportation vehicle tests positive, all other individuals on board the same vehicle shall be treated as close contacts.
8. All tourists completing border control requirements are advised to undergo orientation at the Tourism Hub located at the corner of Staunton Road and Kiltepan Road. Tourist kits and official tourist IDs will be distributed after the orientation.
9. Tourist sites open to tourist entry shall be specified in the Umali Kayo Registration Portal. Available Tour Packages can be found here.Tourists found to have faked or falsified requirements shall be referred to the Sagada Municipal Police station for the filing of appropriate charges.

SOURCE: Municipality of Sagada