(Eagle News) — The Sagada government has declined a request for a team, including director Joyce Bernal and actor Piolo Pascual, to reportedly shoot in the municipality video materials to be used for the President’s next State of the Nation Address.
In a Facebook post, the municipal government said the request was made via a phone call by a coordinator from the Malacanang Broadcast Staff-RTVM to the Sagada mayor and to the Municipal Disaster Risk and Management Officer.
Sagada said a letter from Bernal’s team was also emailed “after office hours” on July 3 stating the team would be arriving the night of July 5.
Attached, the municipal government said, was an authorization letter signed by Dennis Wilfred Pabalan, executive director of the Malacanang Presidential Broadcast Staff-RTVM.
According to the local government, with word the team was arriving, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office recommended an emergency meeting, and referred the matter to the local COVID-19 task force, which convened at 1:30 p.m. on July 5.
“While the meeting was ongoing, the advance party of Direk Joyce were being escorted by our Philippine National Police to Sagada Cellar Door where they will be staying, after the management of Sagada Heritage Village turned them down following the local guideline that all tourism establishments continue to be suspended/closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the local government said.
The Sagada Cellar Door manager and Bernal were called to the meeting, where she was informed of the decision.
A letter to Bernal’s team posted on the LGU’s Facebook account showed Sagada officials had cited the effectiveness of the strict implementation against the entry of people from outside the Mountain Province in ensuring Sagada remains COVID-19-free.
“Sagada, being a 5th class municipality, is not ready, specifically our health facilities, to accommodate the presence of a COVID-19 positive case in the locality,” the letter signed by Sagada Vice Mayor Felicito Dula added.
According to the municipal government, “Direk Joyce clearly understood the decision of the body and she was unapologetic.”
“She appealed that they be given the night to rest in Cellar Door and to ensure that their vehicles are ready for the long trip back to Manila,” the local government said, noting that that request was granted.
“Meantime, our local COVID task force will be conducting monitoring activities for Cellar Door management to ensure that those in the establishment undergo a mandatory quarantine,” the municipal government said.
The Palace has so far not issued a statement.