By Rose Frejane A. Cruz BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Popular festivals from Cordillera region shines again the Festival of Festivals (FOF) 2025 marks its 4th year as a significant platform for celebrating the Cordillera’s rich cultural heritage and promoting local tourism on October 24, 2025, in Baguio City. The event is an annual program of the Department of Tourism-Cordillera to showcase the region’s premier and iconic festival highlights, offering a glimpse of the colorful festivities that await visitors. It promotes pride in the region and ignites greater interest in teaching the beauty and identity of the Cordilleras. Each festival will showcase their respective street dance parades that will take place on October 24, starting at Melvin Jones up along Session Road to the main performance area at the rotonda. Baguio City’s crowd-drawer, the Panagbenga Festival The Panagbenga Festival is more than just an endless bloom of flowers, it is a celebration of life, color, and community that transforms the city into a stunning masterpiece every year. The Adivay Festival of Benguet is more than just a celebration, it’s a vibrant tapestry of culture, showcasing the art, music, and stories that have shaped the land and its people for generations. As part of the Cordillera Festival of Festivals 2025, Benguet is gearing up to bring this colorful heritage to life on stage. The province of Apayao presented their Say-am Naya Apayao, featuring Rambak ni Mannalon of Luna,deep in the highlands of Apayao, a powerful tradition is about to awaken…Echoes of ancient chants and the pulse of Say-am fill the air — a vivid celebration of Apayao’s rich heritage and unbreakable spirit. The Matagoan Festival of Tabuk City, Kalinga is a vibrant celebration of traditions, history, and colorful culture This festival promises a dynamic showcase full of passion, music, and unforgettable moments. The Gotad Ad Ifugao honors the harvest, the land, and the timeless rituals that connect the Ifugao people to their ancestors. Graceful steps and rhythmic beats, the strength of Kawayan Festival is woven into every movement. The Province of Abra is preparing to unveil a cultural performance rooted in resilience, creativity, and tradition.   Lang-ay Festival, featuring Begnas Di Bauko, a sacred rites of harmony and harvest showcasing the rich traditions of the Mountain Province. According to DoT Regional Director Jovita Ganongan, said the FOF is a grand showcase of the region’s premier and iconic festival highlights, offering a glimpse of the vibrant celebrations that await visitors. It fosters regional pride and sparks greater interest in discovering the beauty and identity of the Cordilleras. The activity also features a 5-day Festival Exhibit that will provide maximum exposure to the diverse crafts, products, and traditions of the region’s six provinces and two cities. The exhibit will run from October 22-26, 2025, at Malcolm Square, Baguio City. This event also serves as an annual commemoration of Indigenous Peoples’ (IP) Month, which is marked in October by virtue of Proclamation No.1906 series of 2009, honoring the signing of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act in 1997.    

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines  — The Saint Louis University (SLU) issued advisory that all classes across all levels will shift to three-days synchronous online sessions from Oct. 23 to 25 due to a surge in influenza cases. In an advisory, the university said the temporary adjustment covers students from Basic Education to Graduate Schools. The move aims to safeguard the health and well-being of learners and faculty. Face-to-face classes are expected to resume on Oct. 27. Non-teaching personnel will continue reporting to their respective offices on campus, SLU said, adding that health and safety protocols must be observed at all times to ensure a safe work environment. The university’s Health Services Unit (HSU) will remain open for medical consultations. Students may also avail of free vitamins through their respective school assemblies. SLU encouraged the university community to maintain preventive health practices, including regular handwashing, mask-wearing in crowded areas, and self-monitoring for respiratory symptoms. Individuals experiencing flu-like illness were advised to stay home and seek medical care to help prevent further spread of infection.

By Jordan G. Habbiling BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Mayor Benjamin Magalong signed the ordinance granting a monthly cash subsidy of P1,000.00 to qualified solo parents in Baguio City earning minimum wage or below. The ordinance was signed by last August 28, 2025, after the Baguio City Council has approved Ordinance 63-2025. This measure aims to ease the financial burden of single parents and strengthen the city’s support for solo-parent families in line with the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act (RA 11861). Under the newly approved measure, eligible solo parents will receive a P1,000.00 monthly cash subsidy to be released quarterly through the payroll system. The program will be implemented by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) which will also oversee the screening, validation, and monitoring of beneficiaries. To qualify, a solo parent must possess a valid Solo Parent Identification Card (SPIC), earn minimum wage or below, be listed in the CSWDO’s Solo Parent Database as “eligible” or tagged under “Benefit Qualification Code A & AB,” and must not be a beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) or any other government cash assistance. Solo parents who are senior citizens or persons with disabilities may still receive their respective benefits without forfeiting this subsidy. In cases where available funds are insufficient, the CSWDO will prioritize beneficiaries using a point-based system that considers factors such as the number and age of dependents, income level, employment status, health condition, living arrangement, and whether the solo parent is the sole provider of the family. Those who garner higher points will be given priority in receiving the subsidy. For the initial release of funds, solo parents must submit a copy of their SPIC, a barangay certificate of residency, and a certificate of attendance from a Solo Parent Orientation. For succeeding payouts, only the valid SPIC is required. The CSWDO will conduct thorough assessment and validation of applicants within seven working days of submission and will prepare the final list of eligible beneficiaries. Beneficiaries who cannot personally claim their subsidy due to health reasons may authorize a representative provided that proper documentation such as valid IDs, an authorization letter, and a medical or barangay certificate is presented. In the event of a beneficiary’s death, marriage, or change in status, the payout will be adjusted based on the number of days the beneficiary remained eligible. Funding for the program will come from the annual appropriations of the CSWDO to ensure the sustainability of the city’s assistance to solo parents.  

By Rose Frejane A. Cruz BAGUIO CITY – ‘Rising Sun’, this is the theme of the annual Christmas Village that the Baguio Country Club reopened to bring joy to residents and tourists, especially the youth in the Summer Capital. It will feature the famous parks in Japan, which, as has been the custom in previous years, will use eco-friendly environment materials. According to Andrew Pinero, BCC communication officer, the Christmas Village first paid tribute to media partners, including its family on October 17 and the grand opening will be on October 18, to which city officials were invited. According to Pinero, in the 15th year of the Christmas Village, the theme is different every year, and the excitement of children will not be lost, with artificial snow now added to make visitors enjoy the nativity show even more every night. It was in 2011 when the employees of the BCC, an exclusive membership resort here, first came up with a Christmas Village with the aim of giving a new attraction to their members and to the Baguio community as a whole, including tourists. It was appreciated by the residents. So, the following year, the employees again came up with a Christmas Village. While it did not carry a theme, the consensus to use recycled environment-friendly materials for the display was carried and used. “ We make sure that visitors also enjoy the food concessionaires that we have placed inside the village and we have also put in more chairs for our senior citizens and PWD’s,” Pinero said. The Christmas Village is open to the public from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m and the entrance fee is P200 for adults; Children 4-12 years old are P16 and Senior Citizens are P143; PWD Children P115 and children 3 years old and below are free.        

    BAGUIO CITY — Grab launched its “Grab Asenso” Learning Caravan in the city, pioneering the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME). This initiative underscores the city’s commitment to inclusive economic growth. With approximately 20,000 registered businesses, 19,000 were classified as MSME around the city, thus, naming the city as powerhouse for small-scale entrepreneurship. The learning caravan aimed to equip these enterprises with digital tools for day-to-day efficiency connecting merchants to its consumers. One of the city’s vision as being a Smart City is the enhancement of digital readiness across all sectors with the incorporation of cashless payment systems. This effort aligns with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ PalengQR initiative that encourages market vendors and local businesses to implement QR code-based transactions. – JSC

By Stephanie Nicole Peligman   BAGUIO CITY – Fresh off their success at WorldSkills, the TESDA Cordillera State Institute of Technical Education (CSITE) has once again demonstrated its leadership in hospitality training, earning top honors at the 18th Annual Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism (HRT) Month and 16th National Food Showdown. The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio (HRAB) organized the event and held it at the Baguio Country Club from October 9 to 11, 2025. CSITE stood out as the only Public technical-vocational institution competing against leading universities and colleges. Competing against the region’s top hospitality and culinary schools, CSITE students earned prestigious awards in highly competitive categories. Their gold medal victories include: Gold Medal – Klasika Moderna Kulinarya “Pagsasalo ng Kalikasan at Kultura”: Culinary students Agee C. Docayso, Lawrence C. Serrano, and Gibran A. Sudango earned the Gold Medal after besting 17 other teams. Gold Medal – Best Traditional/Modern Regional Cooking Technique: Adrian S. Demandante and Muhammad Sarim P. Rehman took home the gold for their innovative “Italian Pasta with Native Bird” dish, winning against 14 contenders from different regions. In service excellence, the institute was also strongly represented: Silver Medal – Bellman’s Hour “Trust and Confidence” Competition (Student Division): Adrian B. Rimando secured a Silver Medal among 21 regional competitors. Diploma Award – Bellman’s Hour “Trust and Confidence” Competition (Student Division): Gene Ian C. Ingalla also received recognition in the highly contested Bellman event. A Legacy of Continued Success Guiding the team to victory were coaches Chef Mary Kristine Iris Pasion (Culinary), Assistant Expert Joshua Lizardo (Culinary), Coach Leomar Nepomuceno (Bellman’s), and Assistant Coach Resty Odasing (Bellman’s). “Our students’ success at HRAB reflects not only their skill and discipline but also the quality of training and mentorship that TESDA CSITE provides,” said Daisy C. Bungallon, CSITE Executive Director. “Coming so soon after their WorldSkills achievements, this win proves our commitment to maintaining a world-class standard.” These victories reinforce CSITE’s steadfast commitment to advancing technical education and solidifying the Cordillera region’s strong representation in national and international hospitality events.          

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Some 3,383 senior citizens from the different communities of the Cordillera who reached their milestone ages pursuant to the Expanded Centenarian Act will be receiving their prescribed cash benefits from the Cordillera office of the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC-CAR). Lawyer Luz Laureta-Balisong, NCSC-CAR regional director, said that more than PhP36 million was earmarked by the Commission purposely for the cash benefits of those senior citizens that reached their milestone ages of 80, 85, 90, 95 and 100. Of this number of senior citizens who reached their milestone ages, 2,212 are females while 1,171 are males. Under the Expanded Centenarian Act, senior citizens who reached the milestone ages of 80, 85, 90 and 95 will be entitled to receive cash incentives of PhP10,000 while those who reached the age of 100 will be getting P100,000 from the government. Based on the data obtained from the NCSC-CAR, 1,532 seniors composed of 985 females and 538 males reached the age of 80; 1008 elderly composed of 737 females and 371 males reached the age of 85; 558 senior composed of 360 females and 198 males reached the age of 90; 166 senior composed of 109 females and 57 males reached the age of 95 and 28 senior composed of 21 females and 7 males have reached the age of 100. Last year, the NCSC-CAR disbursed more than PhP35 million in cash benefits of some 3,211 seniors who reached the milestone ages which was composed of 2,122 females and 1089 males. The NCSC-CAR official advised the senior citizens or family members of seniors who are reach their milestone ages to file their applications for the release of their cash benefits six months prior to their birthdays. However, she clarified that for those who forgot that they have reached their milestone ages, they can still apply for the release of their benefits before they celebrate their birthdays for the coming year to avoid the forfeiture of the said benefits granted to them by law. Balisong also reminded senior citizens who have not yet registered with the NCSC to fill out the registration form in the website, www.ncsc.gov.ph, for the Commission to be able to establish a clear database of senior citizens in the country.

BAGUIO CITY – Close to 200 business establishments at Session Road and Gov. Pack Road were subjected to sanitary inspections in the first of the massive operations carried out starting last Oct. 1 by the Environmental Health and Sanitation Division of the City Health Services Office. This was in line with the order of Mayor Benjamin Magalong on the strict implementation of the Sanitation Code with focus on maintaining clean and well-equipped restrooms across the city. Sanitation Division Chief Engr. Albert Pay-an said that of the 199 establishments inspected, 127 were found fully compliant with the sanitary provisions stipulated in Presidential Decree 856. Meanwhile, 72 establishments were found to be in violation of sanitation standards and were consequently issued sanitary orders to address their deficiencies. Apart from the condition of toilet and handwashing facilities, sanitation inspectors also checked on the establishments’ compliance with laws and requirements on food preparation and service, drinking water quality and proper waste storage. The sale of “pasalubong” or local delicacies was also examined ensuring that all food products had proper labeling, valid expiration dates and were sold in safe condition. Compliance with business permit requirements was also considered. Pay-an said establishment owners and managers have been advised to strictly adhere to the Sanitation Code, which mandates safe food handling procedures, availability of potable water, adequate hygiene facilities, and consistent sanitary maintenance within their premises. Complementary inspections were also being done by the Public Order and Safety Division (POSD) which included monitoring of the upkeep of the store frontage and premises pursuant to the anti-littering ordinance of the city. The activity will continue to ensure sustained compliance to the sanitation code. The move is part of the city’s ongoing efforts to raise sanitation standards and promote a healthier environment for residents and tourists. ( Aileen P. Refuerzo-Baguio PIO)