Wedding celebrations in Sadanga, Mountain Province is being discouraged as the influx of visitors from high-risk areas was observed in the Covid-free town.
Mayor Gabino Ganggangan, in a public advisory, which came after the Municipal Inter-Agency Task Force meeting on Dec. 15, strongly discouraged a wedding celebration as this gathers crowds.
“It has been observed that during the wedding celebrations that happened recently in our barangays, there were unavoidable influx of relatives and visitors both from within the municipality and from outside the province including guests from high-risk areas,” Ganggangan said.
The mayor said the guests came from Benguet, Tabuk City, Tinglayan and the National Capital Region, among other areas. He said some of the attendees tested positive for Covid-19.
“In order to avoid similar occurrence, said moratorium shall be in place except in cases of civil weddings which do not include community celebrations,” he stated in the public advisory that came out, Dec. 16
Sadanga together with Barlig remain to be the municipalities in Mountain Province without positive Covid-19 cases.
Ganggangan said since the start of the pandemic, the town has been implementing the indigenous practice on “teer” or rest day to help the community understand the gravity of the situation brought by the Covid-19.
During the “teer,” which was usually observed in the community during a calamity of tragic incident, Sadanga folks would close the entrances and exits of the community, barring visitors or outsiders from entering the village while the residents are not allowed to go out. Traditionally, the indigenous practice would last for one to three days.
As of Dec. 16, the Provincial Health Office reported the province listed a total of 66 cases having one death from Bontoc, 50 recoveries, and 15 active cases.
Bontoc has the highest total cases at 24 with one death, 14 recoveries and nine active cases followed by Bauko with 16 total cases, 14 recoveries and two active cases.
Paracelis has 11 total cases followed by Sagada with six cases, Tadian with three, while Sabangan and Besao has two cases each.
The hotspot barangays in the province are Poblacion and Abatan in Bauko; Bontoc Ili, Samoki, and Calutitt in Bontoc; Poblacion and Tonglayan in Natonin; and Poblacion and Bantay in Paracelis. – Ofelia C. Empian
