By Aileen P.Refuerz0 Mayor Benjamin Magalong inspects the rockshed at Millsite, Camp 4 Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet today, July 27, 2025. The newly built structure is in a precarious condition as parts of the structure’s foothold caved in due to soil scouring at the height of typhoon “Emong.”   Magalong said a third party audit is in order to determine the true status of the project. He said projects of this caliber must have been provided enough funding and “class A” treatment quality-wise. He said there is also a need to determine whether apart from natural factors, human factors like design flaws and construction errors also played a part in the incident. The mayor said despite what happened, the structure was able to serve its purpose having protected the stretch from rock falls. The mayor commended the Dept. of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for its fast action on the incident. The department was able to deploy its manpower and heavy equipment to the scene and managed the incident at once. Magalong said clearing operations are continuing. The road will remain closed until its structural stability has been established.          

Despite the rains and perils posed by the weather disturbance, the dedicated staff of the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) under CSWD Officer Liza Bulayungan and Asst. Cynthia Langagan worked tirelessly to provide immediate assistance to the families affected by howlers “Crising” and “Emong” in Baguio City. They go about their duties — going on the ground assessing the situations, distributing family food packs and hygiene kits, monitoring evacuation centers and providing emotional and all kinds of support. “All these showing once again that in times of crisis, compassion knows no rest.” – Aileen Refuerzo 📸CSWD

By Aileen P. Refuerzo   BAGUIO CITY — The city government will launch this month the Local Incident Gathering Tool for Alerting Safety or LIGTAS, an online hazard communication tool that aims to hasten reporting of and response to dangerous situations that may lead to disasters. City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Charles Bryan Carame said incidents like soil erosions, unstable slopes, clogged canals, damaged utility posts, fallen trees or any other hazard may be reported to the online LIGTAS link to be assigned to facilitate quick response. QR codes will also be posted in barangay halls, schools, and key public spaces. “With this tool, we aim to provide residents with a technology driven platform to notify authorities of potential disasters in their own communities,” Carame said. But more than just being a hazard reporting tool, LIGTAS serves as an avenue for the community to get involved in addressing environmental hazards and preventing disasters before they happen. “LIGTAS is not just an incident report form, we intend it as a movement. Through LIGTAS, every resident can be part of keeping our city safe and disaster-ready,” Carame said. “Help us prevent disasters before they happen. Your report can save lives. Your participation matters. Together, we build a more resilient, alert, and empowered Baguio City,” he added.

By Rose Frejane Cruz   BAGUIO CITY — The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) reported that 19 soil erosions, landslides, and rockfalls occurred during the heavy rains of Typhoon Crising, which resulted in the downfall of 14 old Pine trees and some of them hit power poles, causing many brown-outs in various areas of Baguio City. “The rains here are really heavy and based on the reports we got from different weather stations and PAGASA, we have received more than 300 millimeters of rains in the past three days and considering that for the past one month we have had continuous rains, our ground has been saturated, so we had 19 soil erosions during the typhoon,” said Mayor Benjamin Magalong. He said there were four relatively large erosions, but they are not life threatening. “We have ten partially damaged houses and ten fallen Pine Trees, one sinkhole in Barangay Dominican, one totally damaged vehicle that was hit by a large rock. The good news is that we have no injuries or fatality, except for a dog that was hit by a rock in Camp 7.” Meanwhile, Magalong has issued a class suspension in all levels from public and private schools, including government work, tomorrow, July 23, based on Memorandum Circular No. 90 issued by the Office of the President. Heavy rain is expected due to the southwest monsoon and the formation of two low pressures, which could potentially turn into a full-fledged typhoon in the coming days.

By Laarni S. Ilagan   Severe Tropical Storm Crising, intensified by the southwest monsoon, caused an estimated P1.165 million in damage to the infrastructure of the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) to date, disrupting power supply across parts of its service area. As of 8:00 a.m. on Monday, July 22, BENECO reported significant damage to several components of its power distribution network. Three transformers—two in Tuba, Benguet (Tadiangan and Tabaan) and one in Apugan, Irisan in Baguio City—were damaged, amounting to P509,196.78. An additional P655,933.66 in losses came from 14 downed electric poles, including associated lines and protective devices. Consumers under four feeders (7, 8, 9, and 10) connected to the North Sanitary Camp (NSC) substation experienced the most severe power outages during the storm’s peak. By 10:00 a.m., full power had been restored to all barangays in Baguio City, with only a few isolated households still experiencing outages or low voltage issues. In Benguet, restoration efforts were also underway, with the town of Bokod reporting the lowest recovery rate at 78 percent. Other municipalities reached between 92 and 100 percent restoration. Total households restored at 97.2%, according to the Emeregency Response Team of BENECO. BENECO deployed additional linemen and equipment from its South Drive headquarters to support affected areas, particularly in far-flung municipalities where local contractors were initially mobilized. According to BENECO, most of the pole-related damage was caused by soil erosion and fallen trees brought about by continuous heavy rainfall. “Exercise utmost safety when working with our lines,” BENECO General Manager Melchor Licoben reminded field workers. “As much as we want to restore power immediately, we must prioritize everyone’s safety.” Licoben also urged BENECO employees to offer prayers for the ongoing restoration efforts and called on office-based staff to assist by providing updates to consumers.

BAGUIO CITY – Nahaharap ngayon sa kasong kidnapping with rape ang isang 35-anyos na instructor ng isang unibersidad sa lungsod kaugnay sa umano’y pagkidnap at panggagahasa sa isang 14-anyos na Grade 10 student noong Hulyo 9. Ayon sa Baguio City Police Office, matapos ang masusing imbestigasyon ay ipinasa na nila ang kaso sa tanggapan ng City Prosecutor’s Office noong Hulyo 14, habang ang suspek na kanilang nadakip ay nasa kustodiya ng PS 10 at ililipat sa Baguio City Jail kapag nakumpleto ang mga dokumento. Sa imbestigasyon ng pulisya, sinabi ng dalagitang si Jessica (hindi tunay na pangalan), na naglalakad siya patungo sa paaralan sa tabi ng Baguio Wright Park Fountain, Barangay Lualhati, dakong alas-8:20 ng umaga noong Hulyo 9, nang huminto sa kanyang harapan ang isang hindi kilalang sasakyan. Ayon sa biktima, inakala niya na kilala siya ng driver, kaya siya ay lumapit sa sasakyan, subalit bigla umano siyang hinablot ng suspek at tinakpan ng panyo ang bibig at ilong na naging sanhi ng pagkawala niya ng malay. Nang magising siya ng alas-10 ng umaga, siya ay nag-iisa sa isang hindi pamilyar na silid sa isang lodge sa Bakakeng Central na hubo’t hubad. “She felt pain on her private parts and her legs are shaking. She dressed and went out of the room, (walked along the highway) and called her class adviser who then contacted Police Station 3 then coordinated with PS 10,” police said. Mabilis na nagsagawa ng follow-up investigation ang mga tauhan ng PS10 at natukoy ang pagkakakilanlan ng suspek na humantong sa pagkakaaresto nito.

BAGUIO CITY – Nawasak ang isang barong-barong na bahay at isang kotse matapos magulungan ng malaking bato na gumulong pababa mula sa bundok patungo sa kalsada habang kasagsagan ng malakas na ulan sa may Kennon Road, Camp 7, Baguio City, dakong ala 1:15 ng hapon ng Hulyo 19. Ayon kay Charles Bryan Carame, officer in charge ng City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer, walang naiulat na nasakta sa insidente, dahil walang tao young bahay, maging ang sasakyan nang gumulong ang malaking bato, maliban sa isang aso na exotic bully ang namatay sa insidente. Kasalukuyan ay ginagawan ng paraan ng Baguio City District Engineering Office at mga barangay officials para maalis ang malaking baton a nakapatong sa nawasak na sasakyan. Ang kaso ay isinangguni sa Office of the City Social Welfare and Development Office para sa tulong sa mga apektadong may-ari ng ari-arian. Nanatiling sarado ang kahabaan ng Kennon Road, dahil sa “continuous rockfall sa may entrance ng rockshed. Patuloy din ang ginagawang pang-monitos ng CDRRMC, sa pangunguna ni Mayor Benjamin Magalong sa naiulat na insidente sa iba’t ibang lugar, gaya ng pagguho ng lupa sa barangay ng Purok 2 Poliwes, pagbabantay at paglilinis ng mga basura sa City Camp Lagoon, upang maiwasan itong bumaha at paglilinis sa mga punong natumba na nagdulot ng mga brown-out sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng lungsod. Zaldy Comanda

BAGUIO CITY — The Summer Capital was hailed as among the safest cities in the country for travelers according to the website World Travel Index (WTI) for midyear 2025. Baguio City scored a high of 73.99% placing seventh place. Ranked first was Dumaguete City – 81.36; second was Davao City – 80.73; third was Bulacan City – 76.42; fourth was Balanga – 76.15; fifth was Lucena City – 75.24; and, sixth was Naga City (CamSur) – 75.02. On the eight place was Puerto Princesa – 71.46 followed by Legazpi City (Albay) – 71.34 in ninth place and Makati City – 70.41 in tenth place. Accordingly the WTI assesses cities based on: crime statistics (day/night safety); public service responsiveness; theft and drug-related incidents; and, traveler reviews including AI-driven safety mapping. “This ranking provides both data-driven and experience-based insight, helping travelers choose cities that go beyond beauty — places where they can truly feel secure,” the WTI stated in its website numbeo.com. The survey ranked 1,132 cities globally. Overall, WTI suggests that cities in the Gulf region and Southeast Asia are among the safest in the world, with Abu Dhabi leading the global rankings. By JM Samidan– Baguio PIO        

By JM Samidan-Baguio PIO   BAGUIO CITY — Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong asked for understanding amid public clamor for the declaration of class suspension in view of incessant rains being experienced in the past days brought about by monsoon rains or ‘habagat.’ He said the new circular from the Department of Education No. 22, series of 2024 on class and work suspension puts decision-making to school heads and school division superintendents during heavy rainfalls. “Under the DepEd circular, it appears that the school’s division office is to recommend for class suspension to the local government unit during heavy rainfalls,” Magalong said. The challenge now for DepEd is for them to be adept at analyzing weather forecasts including rainfall. “Hindi ganun kadali na magkansela ng klase at nasanay ang mga tao na si Mayor ang nagdedesisyon at mag-analyze ng data. This time, I leave it to DepEd based on their order,” he said. The mayor monitors at least seven weather forecasting platforms and had to call the school division office as well as heads of universities to confer before deciding on class suspension. “The latest announcement on class suspension should be made by 10PM because from my personal perspective, it would be hard for the student to prepare if the announcement is made late at 6AM.” The mayor also awaits recommendations from the members of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) prior to suspension of classes during inclement weather conditions.