By Jordan G. Habbiling   A proposed ordinance aims to transform governance in Baguio City by making it more inclusive, transparent, data-driven, and city-centered through the institutional use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI). Authored by freshly elected Councilor Paolo Raynor Salvosa, the proposed measure seeks to integrate AI into public consultation platforms, allowing the city to collect and analyze large volumes of citizen feedback, identify common concerns and consensus points, and guide evidence-based policy-making. Salvosa cited successful international models like the platforms and systems used by Taiwan, Canada, and Estonia which use AI to process citizen input and shape tech-related policies, interpret public sentiment in urban planning, and enhance service delivery. According to the proposed ordinance, online platforms will be widely used for the conduct of public consultations by the city government. However, AI systems must prioritize feedback from verified residents and voters and include residency verification tools in weighing public input. This prevents tourism-related feedback or outside influence from distorting governance decisions in order to preserve a policy-making mechanism that prioritizes the community. Such AI systems must be inclusive, simple, and feedback-driven. In terms of enhancing the accessibility of public records, the ordinance mandates that official documents such as ordinances, resolutions, and issuances be made available in machine-readable formats and not just scanned PDFs to enable AI-assisted search and filtering. This will also make data-mining more efficient for citizens and decision-makers. Likewise, the ordinance encourages pilot testing of AI tools and competitive partnerships with tech providers. It also encourages youth engagement through hackathons and design consultations. However, Salvosa emphasized that AI must serve the citizens and not the other way around. The ordinance proposes a human-centered design where AI supports and not replaces human decision-making. The ordinance also includes security measures like bot detection, deepfake identification, anomaly tracking, and sentiment analysis to safeguard platforms from manipulation; data privacy compliance, following the Data Privacy Act of 2012; and modern mechanisms to protect users from cyberbullying and digital harassment. The proposed ordinance has been approved on first reading by the Baguio City Council and referred to the Committee on Laws and Governance for review.    

By Aileen P. Refuerzo   BAGUIO CITY — The City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) has been attending to the victims of the successive weather disturbances and the lingering southwest monsoon in the city since July 19, 2025. CSWD Officer Liza Bulayungan said that as of July 29, 2025, they have served a total of 378 families composed of 1,593 individuals who were affected by flooding and landslides in different parts of the city due to incessant rains and winds caused by severe tropical storm “Crising,” tropical storm “Dante,” typhoon “Emong” and the “habagat.” Of this total, 204 families with 870 individuals were displaced while 175 or 753 individuals stayed in place. There were 109 families that stayed in the city’s eight evacuation centers while 94 moved in with relatives. As of July 29, only 17 remained in the centers. As per the report, there were 66 affected houses, nine of which were totally destroyed and 57 were partially damaged. The office also provided assistance to the casualties — one deceased, two injured and one missing person. A total of P607,470 was disbursed as assistance to the victims, P337,787.50 came from the Dept. of Social Welfare and Development Cordillera (DSWD-CAR); P264,682 from the city government and P39,500 from donations. The government assistance came in the form of cash assistance, food assistance and family, hygiene and sleeping kits. Mayor Benjamin Magalong thanked the social workers who worked tirelessly despite the rains and perils posed by the weather disturbances. “They went about their duties — going on the ground assessing calamity victims’ situations, distributing family food packs and hygiene kits, monitoring evacuation centers and providing emotional and all kinds of support — with purpose and heart.” “They all subscribe to their service dictum, ‘In times of crisis, compassion knows no rest.’”      

By Aileen Refuerzo   BAGUIO CITY — Mayor Benjamin Magalong is urging the city council to adopt an ordinance that will regulate the so-called “spaghetti” wires in the city. Magalong said the measure should include stiff penalties for misdeeds like irresponsible laying of utility cables, poor maintenance of these fixtures and failure to comply with the standard height requirements. He said this is the only way to correct this pesky malpractice of some utility companies and finally address the dangling, sagging and tangled wires that has been causing eyesores and public safety and nuisance issues in the city. The mayor expressed frustration that despite aggressive corrective measures done through the dangling wire clearing campaign, no improvement can be seen in the manner and system of wire installation of most telecommunication companies. “Cables remain unkempt, unserviceable or dead wire remain unattended as if we’re not learning. We have no recourse but to impose penalties to compel them to improve their system,” he said. He however said that the ongoing dangling wire correction program will continue in the different parts of the city. The city council said spaghetti wires are among the nuisance covered in City Ordinance No. 36-2024 or the Baguio City Anti-Public Nuisance Administrative Board of 2024. The measure, authored by Councilor Jose Molintas, mandates the creation of the board which is tasked to receive complaints and declare acts as public nuisance and upon approval by the city council “petition the Regional Trial Court for permanent injunction and collect damages incurred in the implementation of the order to abate the nuisance.”