After Sagada, Banaue bars entry of Joyce Bernal’s SONA video team

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – If the video for President Rodrigo Duterte’s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) would be shown today as directed by Joyce Bernal, it would depict a harrowing trip of rejection.

After being spurned by the Sagada Municipal Council on Sunday afternoon, July 5, Bernal’s team led by Piolo Pascual, Ilac Diaz, and Bela Padilla proceeded to Banaue to continue their shoot.

Their original plan was to shoot in Baguio City and nearby areas, Sagada, Ifugao, Bontoc in Mountain Province, Kalinga, and Abra and so they decided to head to the Batad Rice Terraces to shoot footage for Duterte’s SONA on July 27.

They, however, were refused entry and promptly escorted out – enforcing an executive order issued by Banaue Mayor Dr Wesley Dulawan prohibiting travel in and out of Banaue from July 3 to July 10.

“The Banaue LGU stood its ground to protect the community…. From Mount Polis, the PNP escorted Bernal et al to the arch and out of Banaue,” said journalist and international aid worker Pinky Serafica.

Dulawan recently signed Executive Order No. 26 enforcing the weeklong travel ban to and from Banaue because of the detection of one positive COVID-19 case in the town.

The patient reportedly visited the nearby towns of Hingyon, Lagawe, Lamut, and Tinoc, which necessitated the travel ban to facilitate contact tracing in those areas as well.

After their Banaue rejection, Bernal’s convoy spent their long, long day traveling back to Baguio. About 6 to 7 of the crew then proceeded to John Hay Manor to spend the night.

But before that, they had to pass through the stringent COVID-19 protocol at the Baguio General Hospital triage.

Ferdie Balanag, a classmate of Bernal at the University of the Philippines Baguio and a good friend of Piolo, provided photos of the two undergoing the protocol. – Rappler.com