By Gaby B. Keith-Baguio PIO   BAGUIO CITY — A local measure “requiring owners/operators of hotels, malls, supermarkets, amusement centers, tourist spots, and other establishments/areas where the public converge to adopt tighter security measures through the installation of closed-circuit televisions (CCTV), use of metal detectors and the like to ensure public safety and providing penalties in violation thereof”, is being implemented. This was the findings of a status report on City Ordinance no. 49, series of 2018, submitted to Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan, Oct. 10, by Michelle Dulay, local legislative staff officer 1 based on the information and inputs of the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO), Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) and Public Order and Safety Division (POSD), the measure’s concerned/implementing offices. The report suggested that CBAO, in coordination with the BCPO and POSD, be urged to prepare the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for the said ordinance and to submit the same to the City Mayor and City Council for approval. It also recommended that the IRR consider the guidelines laid down in the National Privacy Commission Advisory No. 2020-04 (Guidelines on the Use of CCTV systems), particularly on sections 6 and 10 which provides the procedures on how to secure a copy of a CCTV footage from personal information controllers and processors by law enforcement agents conducting investigations. The status report contained the comments, suggestions, and recommendations of the CBAO, BCPO and POSD.    

By JM Samidan-Baguio PIO Baguio City is all set and ready for a creative month this November. Acting City Mayor Benny Bomogao issued Executive Order No. 116, series of 2024 declaring the month of November as the 2024 Ibagiw Baguio Creative Festival enjoining community support and promulgating guidelines. This will be the seventh staging of the Ibagiw Creative Festival with the theme, “Inquisitive. Disruptive. Creative.” The Creative Baguio City Council (CBCC) in joint sponsorship with the city government through the City Tourism Office will manage the month-long activity pursuant to the designation of Baguio City as a United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Creative City for Crafts and Folk Arts since 2017. A press conference to launch the Creative Month will be held on Nov. 4 at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center followed by an opening gala on Nov. 8 at the same venue. Several art exhibits and installations featuring local artists, folk arts and crafts were interspersed for the whole month including gastro-art crawls, art and craft bazaars, cultural and creative shows, and Creative Sundays at Session Road with busking activities among others. This year highlights the inclusion of children and the youth in creative arts with the Crafts and Folk Arts Competition – Kids Edition scheduled on Nov. 15-16 at SM City Baguio; and, the Curiosity: 2nd Asian Festival Children’s Content Circle Philippines at the Baguio Convention Center on Nov. 21-23. Awarding ceremonies called Anido Night will be on Nov. 23 at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center. But activities will continue up to the first week of December with the Dap-ayan E.5 Malikhain Traditional and Digital Painting on Nov. 26-27 at 237 Avenue by GAV Bldg, Upper Bonifacio St., cor. Holy Ghost Proper. The 8th Madeko Kito will take place at UP Baguio from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1; Barangay Placemaking Challenge will be held Nov. 29 at the University of the Cordillera; the DOT Art in the Park will be from Nov. 29 to Dec. a at Sunshine Park; and the World Ikat Textiles Symposium will wrap up the activities from Dec. 3-6, 2024 at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center. As a UNESCO Creative City, the city government is mandated to foster cooperation with and among 246-member cities recognize creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development in the fields of design, film, gastronomy, literature, music, media arts, and crafts and folk art.  

Muling ipinatupad sa ika-apat na taon ang isang alamat ng Barangay AZKCO, ang Localized Social Pension sa mga senior citizens ng barangay. Nasa 35 senior citizens ang tumanggap ng tig-P500 mula sa pondo ni Punong Barangay Jefferson Cheng, na ipinagkakaloob tuwing sa pagdiriwang ng Elderly Month bawat taon. Photo by Yvet Cruz

Gladys Vergara has set her sights on making Baguio an even more livable and vibrant highly urbanized city, a goal that lies at the heart of her bid for Congress in the upcoming May 2025 elections. Her vision is centered on enhancing the quality of life for all Baguio residents, improving livelihoods, and ensuring that progress reaches every corner of the city. These ideals form the foundation of the core values that shape her congressional campaign. In recent media interviews conducted during her barangay visits, Vergara outlined her legislative priorities, giving voters a glimpse into her plans should she be elected. “My vision for Baguio is grounded in achieving a balance between addressing the city’s evolving needs and providing essential services to our constituents. This will guide my legislative agenda, should the voters of Baguio entrust me with their support,” she stated. Vergara further elaborated on her vision of progress for the city, noting that her approach will prioritize achieving harmony between tradition and innovation. “As our city continues to modernize, we face new challenges. It’s essential to balance growth with sustainability, ensuring that all citizens benefit equally from progress. Every Baguio resident deserves a fair share in the opportunities for improving life and livelihood,” she emphasized. With her congressional bid, Gladys Vergara aims to lead Baguio into a future that respects its rich history while embracing modernization, ensuring that the city continues to thrive for generations to come.  

The Baguio Tourism Council (BTC) initiated formal discussions with the Fil-Am Chamber of Commerce from Colorado, USA on October 19, 2024, marking the start of talks aimed at establishing a Sister City partnership between Baguio and Colorado Springs. The meeting, led by BTC Chair Gladys Vergara, was attended by key city officials, including Samantha Hamada, Chief of Staff for the City Mayor, City Supervising Tourism Operations Officer Alec Mapalo, Assistant City Administrator VJ Cawis, and BTC representative for Heritage, Arts, Culture, and Media, Ferdie John Balanag. Representing the Colorado Fil-Am Chamber of Commerce were President Florian de Castro, Executive Director Jonas Gonzales, Vice President for Membership Lenie de Castro, Vice President for Programs and Events Anne Gonzales, and Vice President for Trade and International Relations Marcial Dumlao. Discussions covered potential collaborations in key areas such as smart mobility, waste management, traffic solutions, and MSME development through incubators and accelerators for young entrepreneurs. The dialogue also emphasized eco-tourism, sports tourism, academic exchanges—including J1 visa programs for Hospitality and Tourism Management (HRM)—and certification programs for allied medical services. “This meeting sets the stage for building a solid framework toward a Sister City agreement,” Vergara remarked. “We are exploring various partnerships that will benefit both cities, particularly in tourism, trade, culture, and environmental sustainability.” The BTC and Fil-Am Chamber of Commerce also deliberated on strategies to enhance skills development, arts promotion, and manpower training, aiming for long-term cooperation between Baguio and Colorado Springs. Vergara emphasized the significance of this partnership in expanding Baguio’s global network, noting the mutual benefits to both the city’s economy and its international relations. The next step in this initiative will be a formal meeting between the mayors of Baguio and Colorado Springs, a crucial milestone in finalizing the Sister City agreement.

Baguio City officials recently congratulated and commended Vicky S. Macay for being the first Filipino and one of the six global recipients of the Indigenous Women Educators Award from the Indigenous-Led Education Network (ILED Network) last September 5, 2024. In a resolution, local legislators stated that Macay, whose recent achievement of being honored and celebrated for her contributions in advocating for education and preserving indigenous knowledge, has once again proved her valuable role to the Ibaloi community, as well as to the city. ILED Network, which was established and created in 2020, is a growing collaborative network organization in support of education led by indigenous peoples, to harness the power of indigenous-led education and to make indigenous communities, especially indigenous children and youth, more resilient for the future. Further, the ILED Network is being managed by the ILED Support Team consisting of three northern-based organizations, Both Ends from the Netherlands, Forest Peoples Program from England and Rutu Foundation from the Netherlands. The role of this team is to facilitate, coordinate and support the work of the ILED Network and grassroots initiatives. On September 5, 2024 in celebration of International Day of Indigenous Women, the ILED Network launched the Ingenious Women Educators campaign to celebrate the exceptional stewards of life and highlight their contributions to education. The selection process was based on nominations made by several network partners, reviewed by the network’s regional facilitators, secretariat, and a small group of indigenous women members who were not involved in any nominations which ultimately led to the selection of six women from all over the world, one of which is Macay from the Philippines. Macay is a 70-year old Ibaloi leader from Loakan. She is a respected community leader, educator, indigenous peoples rights advocate, volunteer worker and an award winning author. Macay is one of the key leaders of the Onjon ni Ivadoy, author and co-author of several books, a member of the Council of Elders of Baguio and Chairperson of the Baguio-based nongovernment organization Partners for Indigenous Knowledge Philippines (PIKP). She has been teaching Ibaloi traditional knowledge, values and practices to schools, communities, government and non-government organizations, as well as advocating for ancestral land rights. The council claimed that Macay’s commitment to preserving Ibaloi traditions as well as the recognition of ancestral land claimants has made her one of the pillars of the Baguio Ibaloi community Copies of the proved resolution will be transmitted to the offices of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples–Baguio City Desk and the NCIP central office and to Macay for information, guidance, ready reference and further needed action.(Baguio- PIO)      

By Gaby B. Keith “Sustainability is all about fulfilling the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of future generations.” Thus, declared Mayor Benjamin Magalong during a Bingo Scorecard Eskwela Caravan and Stakeholder Consultation, Sept. 25, at the University of the Cordilleras where he encouraged young people to take an active role in achieving the city’s sustainable development goals. The Caravan is a city project that encourages barangays and educational institutions to participate in building a sustainable and resilient city based on environmental, livability, and disaster risk reduction plans, which are all part of the city’s initiatives and plans to address urban decay. “You, the young people, are our future generation. That is the reason why we want to bring out the best in you and empower you this time,” he stressed. The Mayor said there are three ways to empower the youth: By allowing them to take the lead; allow them to participate in decision making; and that adults or elderly should find time to listen to the youth. “Young people now have amazing mindsets and thoughts. They can practically understand what is happening in the environment today,” he added. In his State of the City Address last September 1, Mayor Benjamin Magalong underscored the importance of programs and activities focused on developing youth leadership and empowering them to take part in good governance and development. He also emphasized the need to listen to the voices and ideas of young people when it comes to making important decisions that will affect the community. “It’s about time to allow young people to take the lead and please, let us listen to them,” the Mayor said.      

By Jordan G. Habbiling   Kabataan Pag-asa,este,Pina-asa ng Bayan! BAGUIO CITY — The Baguio City Council has opposed the suspension of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) special elections, arguing that it undermines youth representation and governance in barangays. During its regular session, the city council passed a resolution expressing strong opposition to Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Resolution No. 11054 which suspended the SK special elections. COMELEC Resolution No. 11054 reversed an earlier issuance, COMELEC Resolution No. 1109, which established the guidelines for conducting the SK special elections. These guidelines aimed to address barangays’ concerns about the lack of quorum. The suspension was set “until further notice,” leaving vacancies unresolved and preventing many barangays from benefiting from youth representation and leadership. According to the city council resolution, out of 128 barangays in the city, only 51 have a complete SK quorum. The remaining 77 barangays are impacted by the suspension of the elections, further delaying the restoration of full youth participation in youth development. Of the 77 impacted barangays, 17 have no SK representatives, leaving these areas without any youth leadership. Meanwhile, 60 barangays lack the necessary quorum, preventing them from using their allocated funds for youth-targeted programs and activities. The city council resolution aligns with the SK Federation of Baguio’s assertion that the suspension of the special elections directly contradicts the purpose of COMELEC Resolution No. 11009, which aimed to address the very issues that remain unresolved due to the suspension. In his privilege speech during the October 7 city council session, SK Federation President John Rhey Mananeng made an urgent appeal to the COMELEC, DILG, and National Youth Commission to act promptly to address this issue. Titled “Kabataan Pag-asa, este, Pina-asa ng Bayan,” Mananeng’s speech conveyed his frustration regarding the youth who, rather than feeling empowered and supported, feel misled and disappointed by the system. He called out the COMELEC and DILG over their lack of action despite repeated resolutions and lobbying efforts. He said these delays have created a sense of helplessness among youth leaders who feel sidelined in their efforts to engage in their communities. Mananeng quoted his fellow Apugan-Loakan SK Chairperson, who stated, “The youth are Filipinos too. We do not deserve this act of disservice from our own government.” “This is not merely a suspension of election but a denial of your people’s right to be heard and influence their communities,” Mananeng stated. He also expressed concerns about inadequate funding for the special elections which poses a significant barrier to their implementation. He added that this further exacerbates the challenges faced by the SK councils, as many have sufficient funds in their accounts but cannot utilize them due to the lack of quorum. Mananeng ended his speech, saying, “Nawa’y hindi na natin muling paasahin ang mga pag-asa ng bayan, na walang iba kundi ang ating mga kabataan.” –  

By Mileyvonne Tiamzon Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Sang Hwa graced the celebration of Baguio-Korea Friendship week today, October 13, 2024 at Session Road. Mayor Benjamin Magalong warmly welcomed His Excellency Lee to the city. He also highlighted in his speech the strong bond that has been built between the people of Baguio and Korea. “Today’s event is a vibrant reminder of how partnerships between nations can enhance the social, economic, and cultural fabric of a city,” the mayor added. The Baguio-Korea Fair includes activities like the K-pop runway, cover contest, best booth, and K-pop random dance. The Session Road is alive with various booths that showcase the vibrant blend of Korean and Filipino creativity which symbolizes the unity between our cultures.   Photo by : Neil Clark Ongchangco/Mileyvonne Tiamzon