By Aileen P. Refuerzo   BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The City Government in partnership with the Baguio Water District (BWD) held the groundbreaking ceremony to commence the Rainwater Harvesting Facility project at the Buyog Watershed, on February 9. Considered as a major project crucial to strengthening the city’s water security and climate resilience, the facility is expected to significantly augment the supply of potable water to barangays Pinget, Lower Quirino Hill and surrounding areas. Mayor Benjamin Magalong and BWD General Manager Salvador Royeca led the ceremony along with City Engineer Richard Lardizabal, officials and stakeholders of the beneficiary barangays. The mayor said the project is funded by the national government, facilitated through the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) during the term of former Secretary Amenah Pangandaman. He recalled that the funding was granted after national officials expressed confidence in Baguio City’s good governance, transparency and accountability initiatives under the Open Government Partnership. Highlighting the urgency of the project, the mayor cited the severe drought experienced in 2024, when residents of Quirino Hill, Pinget and nearby areas faced acute water shortages. During that period, the cost of water reached as high as P135 per drum, with delivery waiting times extending to several weeks. “This project is not only about addressing today’s water shortage, but about planning for the next 10 to 20 years,” Mayor Magalong said emphasizing that the rainwater harvesting facility is among the city’s “catalytic projects” designed to ensure that future generations will not suffer from the same water challenges. Magalong also stressed the importance of timely completion and quality construction, urging barangay officials and the community to closely monitor the project and immediately report any delays or issues. Construction is expected to be completed in less than a year. For his part, Royeca explained that the project aims to augment existing water sources, improve system resilience and promote sustainable water resource management amid increasing demand, climate change, and rapid urbanization. The Buyog facility will collect rainwater, convey it to storage tanks and treat it to meet the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water. Royeca noted that the facility will primarily be used during the dry months to lower operational costs and improve water distribution efficiency. It will also help mitigate stormwater runoff and localized flooding during heavy rains and typhoons, giving the project a dual purpose. “This is only the initial phase, and we hope to construct additional facilities in the future,” Royeca said, adding that the project reflects BWD’s commitment to sustainable development, climate change adaptation, environmental protection, and long-term water security. Lardizabal described the groundbreaking as a meaningful milestone that symbolizes collaboration and shared vision among the city government, BWD, barangays and the community.          

  BAGUIO CITY – Local residents who are passionate about painting participated in the Colours in Bloom art contest of Panagbenga Festival held at the Melvin Jones Football ground, Burnham Park, Baguio City on February 14. In celebration of the 30th Panagbenga, the “Handog ng Panagbenga sa Pamilya Baguio” is a traditional activity offered by the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc, (BFFFI) for residents to participate in showcasing their talents in the field of art painting. With the help of Davies Paints, participants in the painting contest were provided with free painting supplies such as paints and canvases which they used for the contest which had amateur, professional, and family categories. With the theme “Blooming Without End”, it aims to encourage the city’s artists to showcase the Cultural Heritage and beauty of the Cordillera through painting. The competition has three categories, from professional, amateur and family with exciting prizes waiting for them. All paintings will be paraded in the grand street dancing parade on February 28 and the selected winners will be awarded before the Panagbenga Festival celebration ends on March 8. The day-long event also featured the 11th Kite Flying contest, cultural performances, and the Kite-flying Contest, Binnadang Cultural Show by the University of Cordilleras, ILI Wellness, Live Acoustic Band performance, Dayaw ti Kultra and Sayaw Pilpinas by Saint Louis University.(By Zaldy Comanda)          

By Rose Frejane Cruz Comanda   BAGUIO CITY – About 100 indigent families from four neighboring barangays were blessed during the annual gift giving activity of the Baguio Filipino-Chinese group in connection with the celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year or Spring Festival 2026 in Baguio City, on February 13. Peter Ng, executive committee, together with other Chinoy leaders and City Social Welfare and Development Officer Liza Bulayungan led the distribution of 100 grocery packs and tikoy to beneficiary families of Barangays Lower Quirino Hill, Middle Qurino Hill, East Qurino Hill and West Quirino Hill, which was held at the covered court of Middle Quirino Hill. According to Ng, this occasion is to show gratitude for the relationship between Filipinos and Chinese, by sharing a small contribution from the Baguio Filipino-Chinese Community Group to show the good relationship and support for development programs and projects in Baguio City, He said, “This program is a tradition that we have been doing, so it is now part of the annual Spring Festival celebration, which is now in its 28th year. We wish for good relations and we are ready to help for the development of our city,’ Ng said. On the side of the city government, Bulayungan also thanked the Chinese community for their tireless assistance to small communities and the city’s development programs. The Filipino-Chinese Community Group is composed of nine associations to further strengthen the relationship between Chinese and Filipinos and support any city program and help the community. The crowd drawing event of the Grand Colorful Parade is on February 18, while the Little Chinatown display is on February 15 and 22.    

By Laarni S. Ilagan   BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — With four deaths from electrocution recorded in just the first three weeks of January 2026, the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) has intensified its public safety awareness campaign, sounding the alarm over what it describes as a “disturbing and preventable” rise in electrical accidents across Baguio City and Benguet. Assistant General Manager Artemio Bacoco clarified that the recent incidents involved members of the public—not BENECO workers—and were largely caused by unsafe work practices near energized power lines. He said many of the cases stemmed from construction and installation activities conducted without proper safety precautions or coordination with the cooperative. Bacoco is rallying all BENECO personnel to take part in an intensified information and awareness drive, stressing that electricity becomes deadly when taken for granted. The most recent fatalities involved a father and son in Bokod who were electrocuted on January 7 while installing a water messenger pipe near power lines. Three days later, a house construction worker in Loakan was electrocuted after the GI sheet roofing material he was holding came into contact with a primary line, causing him to fall from a height of about 20 meters. Another construction worker was electrocuted on January 20 when the steel bar he was bending touched a primary line; he succumbed to his injuries the following day. Data from BENECO’s Health and Safety Office (HSO), under the Assistant General Manager’s Office and the Network Services Department (NSD), showed a 23.81 percent increase in electric shock and electrocution incidents in 2025, with 35 individuals affected compared to 24 in 2024. The trend has worsened early this year, with multiple incidents already recorded in January alone. BENECO Safety Officer Ellen Rufino also raised concerns over the increasing number of electrocution incidents involving workers installing solar streetlights. In Baguio City, just before the Christmas holidays, four construction workers from a large company were installing solar light poles along a road near the Justice Hall parking area when they accidentally came into contact with primary electrical wires. All four survived but sustained electric shocks and injuries and were rushed to the hospital for treatment. Meanwhile, the latest report from Network Services Department–Construction and Maintenance Officer (CMO) Roy Olatic noted an alarming spike in electrocution cases involving solar streetlight installers. From December 2021 to December 2025, a total of 20 electrocution incidents were recorded, resulting in two deaths. Benguet logged the highest number of casualties at 13, followed by Baguio City with eight, with one fatality recorded in each area. Speaking during the regular employees’ assembly on Friday, January 23, Bacoco urged all BENECO personnel to act as “safety officers on the ground,” extending their vigilance beyond line workers to the general public. He emphasized that employees who witness unsafe activities near power lines in their barangays and communities should immediately call the attention of those involved and promptly report the incident to BENECO’s technical or safety offices. “If you see people working dangerously close to power lines, call their attention right away,” Bacoco said. “One warning, one simple reminder, can save a life.” BENECO data further showed that most electrocution victims are house construction workers, streetlight installers, and individuals trimming trees near power lines without proper coordination with the cooperative. While such activities may fall outside BENECO’s direct operational responsibility, Bacoco stressed that safety is a shared responsibility. “One life lost is one life too many. Life is precious,” he said, noting that electrocution incidents not only claim lives but also cause power interruptions that place linemen at greater risk during restoration work. In 2024, BENECO recorded three electrocution-related deaths in Benguet—in Bokod, Tublay, and Bakun—out of 24 documented incidents. Earlier, barely two weeks into January 2025, five electrocution incidents had already been logged, including one fatality in Mankayan and injuries to two construction workers in Tuba on the same day. As incidents continue into 2026, BENECO reiterated its call for heightened vigilance, particularly in construction areas. The cooperative urged the public to coordinate with BENECO before working near power lines and appealed to communities and workers alike to heed safety warnings. “Makibiyang tayo. Maysa lang nga abiso, mabalin nga mangisalakan iti biag,” Bacoco said. “Let us all be alert. Safety is everybody’s concern.”    

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Mayor Benjamin Magalong has directed all city departments and offices heads to strictly observe proper waste segregation and ensure the full utilization of the food composting machine at the City Hall’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). In a memorandum issued on February 3, the Mayor underscored the City Government of Baguio’s commitment to environmental stewardship and stressed the need for city offices to lead by example in responsible waste management practices. All offices are required to implement mandatory waste segregation at source through a standardized three-bin system. The bins must be clearly labeled for biodegradables such as food scraps and fruit peelings, recyclables including papers, plastic bottles, and metal cans, and residuals like soiled wrappers, used tissues, face masks, and sanitary napkins. The directive also provides clear guidelines on the handling of biodegradable waste. All organic materials, including food leftovers, coffee grounds, and fruit and vegetable peelings, must be collected separately. Each department is instructed to designate personnel responsible for the daily delivery of these wastes to the City Hall MRF on or before 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. All biodegradable waste delivered to the MRF will be processed using the MAEKO Food Composting Machine. The City General Services Office (GSO) has been tasked to manage, operate, and maintain the composting equipment to ensure its efficient use. Mayor Magalong called for strict and immediate compliance with the directive, emphasizing that effective waste segregation and composting are key measures in reducing waste, protecting the environment, and advancing Baguio City’s sustainability initiatives. – Aileen P. Refuerzo/      

By Rose Frejane Cruz   BAGUIO CITY – The Baguio Filipino-Chinese community and the city government launched activities for the Spring Festival 2026 celebration under the Year of the Fire Horse at the city hall ground, Baguio City, on February 9. “This year’s celebration is more colorful and fun with the help of the good relationship between the city and the Filipino-Chinese community, to show good relations towards unity for the development of the city,” said Peter Ng, chairman of the Spring Festival 2026 celebration. The Spring Festival was first launched in Baguio City in 1998 and because the celebration was seen to have a great impact on the enjoyment of the masses, even on tourism, it was immediately established in 1999 by virtue of an ordinance, where the Chinese in the city had more unity to support the projects and programs of the city government, towards the growth of tourism and the economy. The exciting and joyful Grand Colorful Parade will be held on February 18 at 3:00 p.m., with classes suspended for the day to allow students to watch and in recognition of the great contributions of Filipino-Chinese to the city, followed by the Dinner Awards Night in the evening to be held at the Hotel Supreme Mall and Event Center. According to Ng, in the 28 years of the celebration, their activities have remained traditional community outreach activities, such as the Gift Giving to about 200 indigent families of Barangay Middle Quirino Hill, which was set by the Office of City Social Welfare and Development on February 13. “As we do to recognize the great contributions of journalists in publishing our programs, we have prepared a media fellowship night on February 10,” Ng said. The popular Spring Festival and Little Chinatown showcases at Session Road, with activities taking place on February 13 and February 22, with the Chinese New Year Fun Run to be launched in the morning. Mayor Benjamin Magalong also highly commended the Chinoy group for their unwavering support to the city, which has strengthened unity, brotherhood and cooperation in the development of Baguio for generations. “Today, as we launch the 2026 Spring Festival, where not only welcoming a lunar yeay,we are celebrating a tradition that has become a part of Baguio’s cultural identity. Your contributions have helped build Baguio into a vibrant,diverse and robust community that we are proud of today.”      

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Mayor Benjamin Magalong has issued fresh reminders for tourists and visitors to the city to be vigilant in their accommodation bookings to avoid becoming victims of scams and illegal transient businesses. Magalong made the call as the city prepares to roll out crowd-drawing events for the Panagbenga Festival this February. “Let’s be cautious so as not to fall prey to these people who take advantage of our festival to advance their unscrupulous deed,” the mayor said. He said scammers usually use fake social media pages and accounts pretending to be the owners or representatives of legitimate accommodation establishments. To make sure of legitimate transactions, visitors were urged to transact only with accommodation establishments listed on the city’s officials tourist assistance website, the VISITA website at htttp://visita.baguio.gov.ph/. To verify legitimacy of the transactions, people are also advised to call the Permits and Licensing Division at 619-3184 to confirm the names of registered owner/s and their contact numbers. Fake accounts may be reported to the official Facebook page of the Baguio City Anti-Cyber Crime Unit or call 09088997228. The City Tourism Office also listed warning signs that the service is fraudulent: *Too good to be true packages.  All-in packages that are unrealistically cheap may not be actually real! *No business permit and no official receipt.  Always ask for copies of business permits and receipts that can be verifiable; *No official public website or social media page.  Legit businesses will promote their services on public and well-recognized online platforms, usually with customer reviews and ratings; *Social media account was just recently created.  Not necessarily all new websites or accounts are illegal, but scammers have the propensity for deleting old accounts and then will create new accounts, using different names every time; *Showing IDs that are not government-issued.  Many IDs can just be fabricated and therefore may be fake, better ask for government-issued IDs since they are more verifiable. *Declared address is non-existent.  To verify the address, please call 074-4462009. – Aileen P. Refuerzo    

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The city government is trying to resolve some two hundred cases of multiple claimants over the stalls being rented out in the different sections of the Maharlika Livelihood Center to conform with the city’s policy of one person, one stall. Assistant City Treasurer Fernando Ragma, Jr., a member of the Maharlika Livelihood Center Transition Committee’s technical working group, said that some 53 cases of multiple claimants covering some stalls in the newly acquired property are set to be resolved within the month. He claimed that the city government aims to settle the multiple disputes over some of the stalls in the different sections of Maharlika so that the actual number of stallholders could be determined and to put an end to the rampant sub-leasing of stalls in the income-generating asset. Earlier, some 960 lessees had been identified when the Maharlika was under the State-owned Human Settlements Development Corporation (HSDC) of the agriculture department but based on the inventory conducted by the city government, there were only more than 600 lessees. Ragma pointed out that the discrepancy in the number of lessees is a product of the multiple claimants of some of the stalls aside from the fact that there are big stalls that were subdivided into several spaces and eventually sub-leased to interested individuals. The assistant city treasurer added that Maharlika is covered by the city’s market code that is why some of its provisions are applicable to the stalls in Maharlika where sub-leasing is strictly prohibited. He advised tenants to await the decision of the transition committee relative to the stalls they are occupying or conducting business because the collegial body will still resolve the pending disputes over some of the stalls but what is important is that status quo still prevails in the property until such time that the appropriate notices shall have been issued to them. He explained that the city government is trying to resolve the pending disputes over the stalls the soonest and that any decision it makes will be based on who among the claimants will be able to show concrete proof of actual occupancy and the payment of the lease rentals due to the government. Maharlika building structurally stable says expert The City Budget Office said that the Maharlika building is generally structurally stable based on the structural integrity test conducted by experts commissioned by the city government for such purpose. City Budget officer lawyer Leticia O. Clemente said that the positive result of the structural integrity test conducted in the Maharlika building is an assurance that the structure is still safe for occupancy by the tenants and the people frequenting the area for their business. However, she claimed that there is a need for the city government to first retrofit the foundations of the structure if the city decides to put up additional floors to accommodate more tenants which was also part of the recommendations presented by the structural experts that conducted the integrity test on the building. The city budget officer added that any improvement to the Maharlika building must pass through the scrutiny of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) as the building has been declared as a heritage structure, having been existing for 50 years. According to Clemente, what the city government could do at the moment is work on the rehabilitation of the burned basement and the initial facelift earlier identified while trying to source out more funds to fully renovate the structure while maintaining its façade. Further, she noted that the relocation of stalls identified by the Bureau of Fire Protection as obstructions along hallways and the lobby were the ones that were provided relocation spaces at the upper floors of the structure to allow them to pursue their business operations. Clemente chairs the Maharlika Livelihood Center transition Committee which is tasked to facilitate the smooth transition of the administration and management of the Maharlika building from the State-owned Human Settlements Development Corporation to the city government following the lapse of the 50-year lease contract. City earmarks P10-M for Maharlika market feasibility study The city government earmarked around PhP10 million for the conduct of a feasibility study that to inform the crafting of a master development and conservation plan for the Maharlika Livelihood Center and the city public market that will serve as a blueprint for any future developments to be undertaken in these facilities. City Budget Officer lawyer Leticia O. Clemente, who also chairs the Maharlika Transition Committee (MTC), said that the feasibility study will take around four months and will probably start by the middle of February so that the city government will have the requisite master development and conservation plan for both major income-generating assets to guide policy makers and decision makers in deciding future developments to introduce in these major city properties. She added that the conduct of the feasibility study for both city assets is aligned with an earlier resolution passed by the City Council requiring the preparation of a master development plan and a conservation plan for the Maharlika building and city market for the city to have a blueprint of developments that will be allowed to be introduced in the said structures. Clemente underscored the importance of conducting the feasibility study to serve as basis in preparing the master development and conservation plans for both the said areas so that future leaders of the city will be guided on what kind of developments should be introduced in any part of the facilities to avoid the implementation of improvements that are not part of the crafted plans. The city government acquired ownership of the Maharlika Livelihood Center from the State-owned Human Settlements Development Corporation (HSDC) under the agriculture department following the lapse of the 50-year lease agreement of the city-owned land where the structure was erected. Clemente stipulated that the master development and conservation plans will identify the kind and magnitude of development that can be introduced in the properties, especially that the Maharlika