The town of Concepcion in Iloilo province’s Fifth District is open to local tourists from the Western Visayas region.

“Open kita sa mga turista pero ginafollow naton ang guidelines sang aton provincial government,” said Mayor Raul Banias.

Concepcion is one of the tourist drawers in Iloilo. It is home to stunning islands and beaches.

Banias said they have maintained the border checkpoints to monitor the movements of non-residents in and out the town.

Ginaregister naton ni sila for contact tracing purposes. In case may magpositive, mahapos sa amon ang pagpangita sa ila,” he told IMT NEWS.

According to Banias, resorts in Concepcion are allowed to operate up to 50 percent of their original capacity.

Wala lang naton gina-allow ang videoke kag drinking in public places. Kon maligo, mastay kag magkaon sa amon beaches bukas gid kita,” he said.

Pero dapat ginafollow gihapon ang minimum health standards – pagsuksok sang face masks, physical distancing kag paghugas sang kamot,” Banias stressed.

Based on data from the Provincial Health Office (PHO), Concepcion, as of Dec. 7, logged 51 confirmed cases of COVID-19, of which 49 have recovered and one has died.

The entire province is currently under modified general community quarantine (MCGQ), the lowest form of community quarantine enforced by the government.IMT

Photo of Agho Island in Concepcion by Bert Esposado