MEDIA RELEASE
As of 10:45pm
July 8, 2022

The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) which owns and operates the Banaue Hotel and Youth Hostel (BHYH) has reported that due to the heavy rains in Banaue, Ifugao on 7 July 2022, a landslide has eroded and carved out the side service access road of BHYH. Affected parts of the hotel near this area include the administration office and front desk. Another landslide occurred fronting the main entrance of the hotel from the highway and into the parking lot. Pictures and videos uploaded and being shared on social media show the extent of the damage to the hotel.

TIEZA Chief Operating Officer Mark T. Lapid immediately relayed the information to the Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco for proper coordination. A Situation Report was submitted to the DOT upon receipt of the latest update from BHYH. COO Lapid instructed the deployment of engineers from the TIEZA Architecture and Engineering Services Sector (AESS) which handles the infrastructure projects of the Authority, to Banaue today, 8 July 2022. Coordination with the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) Regional Office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has also started.

The affected areas in BHYH are now blocked off from traffic. Power and water lines have also been cut off. No guests were harmed and cleaning is well underway. Sec. Frasco discussed with COO Lapid to instruct the temporary prohibition on the use of the facility to ensure there is no risk to the guests or personnel.

BHYH is an 81-room facility with accommodations for big and small groups. It is perched on a mountain top amidst the Banaue Rice Terraces. During the COVID-19 pandemic, as assistance to the Local Government of Banaue, its Youth Hostel was utilized as a quarantine facility for free.#