By Rose Frejane A. Cruz   BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The decline in tourists in the Summer Capital and neighboring areas of Benguet is being felt this Holy Week. Mayor Benjamin Magalong admitted earlier the decline in tourists after the Panagbenga Festival, which was followed by the gasoline crisis caused by the war in the Middle East. “Our tourist arrivals dropped by 40 to 50 percent during the successive increases in gasoline prices and maybe this Holy Week our tourists might increase by 60 percent, but after this, our tourism will definitely drop again,” Magalong said. He said he spoke to bus companies who actually reduced their trips by 50 percent and even the hotel and transients association and reported that their respective bookings during the Holy Week were low. According to Peter Ng, owner of a large hotel in the city, since the gasoline crisis began until this Holy Week, their hotel bookings have dropped by 40 percent. “This crisis has had a huge impact, not just me, all businesses, big or small, are really feeling the economic downturn. Right now, I have reduced the number of workers, or rather, they are alternates.” Ng stated. Andrew Pinero, spokesperson for the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio, said that bookings at establishments have dropped by about 40 to 50 percent since early March. He said that after the Panagbenga Festival, it is normal for tourist arrivals and hotel bookings to increase during the Holy Week and Summer Vacation, but this year the demand is very low. Occupancy rates that usually reach 80 to 90 percent during the summer have dropped to about 40 percent, reflecting the stress on the local tourism industry. He said that most hotels and restaurants are now using their own tricks such as promos and discounts to attract tourists as the Summer Vacation begins. In the biking area in Burnham Park, where the previous rental fee for a bicycle was P100, it is now only P50 or P100 for two bicycles, to attract the few visitors who come here. In the neighboring town of La Trinidad, where the Strawberry Farm is a tourist hotspot, now the number of tourists here is dwindling. “Before, during this Holy Week, my farm was full of tourists picking strawberries, it was fun to see so many of them, but now it is sad that there are almost no visitors,” stated Marife Agad, farm owner.

By Rose Frejane A.Cruz   BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The City Social Welfare and Development Office reported a total of 180 incidents of Child Abuse were recorded of which 65 cases were filed, while 115 cases were not filed in the year 2025. In the data, 50 were physical abuse; 31 were incest rape; 23 were sexual abuse; 19 were neglect; 17 were acts of lewdness; 15 were emotional abuse; 12 were sexual molestation; 11 were incest-related rape (RA 11862) and two were Trafficking in Persons. The 180 cases of data in 2025 show a decrease from the 271 reported cases in 2024, where 48 were filed while 223 were not yet filed. In the said data, 53 were, while 117 were female victims, of which 17 belonged to the age group of 0-5; 15 were 6-8 years old; 23 were 9-11 years old; 82 were 12 to 15 years old, and 34 were 16-17 years old. It was further stated that 32 of the perpetrators were unrelated to their victims, while the rest could be family, neighbors, stepmothers, girlfriends, classmates, in-laws, playmates, landlords, family friends and acquaintances. For Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL), data from January to December 2025 shows 168 cases of which 24 were female and 144 were male; 129 were students and 39 were OSY. Most of them, 111 belonged to the age group of 12 to 15 years old; while 47 were 16 to 17 years old, and there were five each for the age groups of 9 to 11 and 18 to 20. Their offenses included robbery, physical harm, assault, alleged frustrated murder, slight physical harm, attempted murder, sexual molestation, alleged sexual abuse, alleged rape, carnapping, robbery, rape, murder, grave coercion; alleged statutory rape, robbery, extortion and physical harm. In this regard, interventions are being implemented through coordinated efforts from government agencies while citing data from Child Abuse (CA), Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL) and Children at Risk (CaR) cases in 2025 at the recently held first quarter meeting of the Local Council for the Protection of Children (LCPC). These interventions include strengthening child protection systems, community awareness campaigns, support for families at risk, and collaboration with schools and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Medical, financial, food, educational, and livelihood assistance is available through the CSWDO, such as temporary shelter, counseling, psychological first aid, life skills, parenting sessions, value building, and referrals to protective custody. Safety assessment, debriefing, physical examination, referral, transportation, facilitation of sworn statements, and ongoing monitoring are also provided through the Health Services Office (HSO), Baguio City Police Office (BCPO), Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC), in coordination with other agencies.        

BAGUIO CiITY, Philippines – The Luzon North 1 Division of the Social Security System (SSS) continues its efforts in 2026 to expand social security coverage and protection of Job Order (JO) and Contract of Service (COS) workers from various government agencies through the KaSSSanga Collect Program (KCP). Through newly signed partnerships with the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) of Ilocos Norte and Benguet State University (BSU) in La Trinidad, more than 800 JO and COS workers will be covered as self-employed members, with contributions conveniently deducted from their monthly salaries and remitted to the SSS. “This structured system removes the burden on workers to pay individually and helps ensure consistent contribution remittance to maintain active SSS membership,” SSS Vice President for Luzon North 1 Division Normita Cruz said. Around 127 JO and COS workers from PENRO Ilocos Norte will be registered, with the agency subsidizing P300 of their monthly SSS contributions. At BSU, around 700 workers will also be covered as SSS members, with contributions conveniently deducted from their monthly salaries. Cruz clarified that JO and COS workers in government agencies are not covered under the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Law, prompting the need to expand SSS coverage within the professional sector. “Through the KCP, these government workers shall have access to a wide range of SSS benefits, including sickness, maternity, disability, retirement, death, and funeral, as well as loan privileges,” Cruz said. The monthly contribution for self-employed members ranges from P760 to P5,280, depending on the member’s declared monthly income. This amount already includes Employees’ Compensation (EC) contribution, which ranges from P10 to P30. “The EC Program provides additional benefits to employed and self-employed members in case of work-related sickness, injury or death,” added Cruz. She encouraged other interested government agencies to participate in the program, noting that SSS branches are open to discuss partnership arrangements and program details. “Interested agencies are always welcome to visit our branches and learn more about the benefits of the KCP. This initiative is a meaningful way to show appreciation and recognition for the valuable contributions of JO and COS workers in advancing governance initiatives,” Cruz concluded.

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Mayor Benjamin Magalong announced that the city government has received the P56 million fund allocation from the national government for the implementation of the Assistance to Indigent Individuals or Families – Food Assistance/Rice Distribution project intended to provide rice subsidies to indigent families in the city. Magalong directed the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWD) to expediting the grant to qualified families from the different barangays in the city. CSWD Officer Liza Bulayungan said they will prepare the project proposal, purchase request and other documentary requirements to immediately roll out the assistance. Magalong last February thanked President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for including the city as beneficiary of the 2026 Local Government Support Fund-Financial Assistance (LGSF-FA) under the Bagong Pilipinas Rice Program. He assured that the distribution of the assistance in the City will be free from political color and influence noting that in the past, similar program was controlled by influential members of Congress. “No politics, no ‘epal’ this time.  Purely assistance from the government to those in need,” Magalong reiterated. He also assured residents that proper guidelines will be followed to ensure fair identification of beneficiaries and accountable use of the funds.  Further details on the implementation and distribution schedule will be announced as soon as available. The P56 million allocation for the city is part of the almost P58-billion LGSF allocation for 2026 which aims to provide direct support to needy families and communities nationwide. The amount is downloaded straight to the local government unit in a direct and digitized manner to ensure faster implementation.(Aileen P. Refuerzo-Baguio PIO)  

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club (BCBC) has canceled the Lucky Summer Visitors 2026 that was supposed to take place during Holy Week, as a mark of respect and mourning for the death of a member in a tragedy in Itogon, Benguet. The LSV is a traditional event of the media community, supported by local government units, stakeholders, which selects first-timers who will go to the Summer Capital during Holy Week for their vacation, with those selected being given the red-carpet treatment for four days. According to BCBC President Dioniso Dennis, Jr., officials and stakeholders agreed to cancel the annual weeklong activities for the Lucky Summer Visitors 2026 that were supposed to take place during Holy Week, to give way to mourning for the sudden death of member Neil Clark Onghanco and respected veteran photographer Rodolfo ‘Ompong’ Tan. Ongchanco, 40, a city government employee and photographer of the Baguio City Public Information Office, while Tan, 68, a well-known businessman, hobbyist photographer of the Baguio Photographers Club and respected partner of the Baguio media community. The two deceased, along with four other photographers, who survived the tragedy, were traveling in a black Toyota Fortuner with license plate ZHE 432, coming from Tabu Elementary School, Dalupirip, Itogon, Benguet, on March 27, where they were conducting pictorials of graduating students as part of a sponsorship activity. On their way home, crossing the Agno River again at around 1:00 p.m., a strong current suddenly hit their vehicle and pushed it into a rocky river about 100 meters from where they were traveling. According to Dennis, in the mourning of the Baguio media, a traditional ritual will be held on Maundy Thursday at the media camp in Burnham Park. “While the shocking news has left us in a quandary whether to pursue or not, we have decided to forgo but will do traditional rituals to hopefully gain the balance following the tragic incident.” In this regard, Mayor Benjamin Magalong deeply mourned the loss of Onghanco, whom he recognized as a wonderful public servant from the Baguio City Public Information Office, because of his kindness, humility, and willingness to help anyone in need and his cycling partner. In his public post, he recognized Tan as a good businessman, a friend who was highly respected by the community and who cared about the citizen photographer. Tan was recognized and honored as one of the Outstanding Citizens of Baguio in 2022 for his invaluable service to the community, in recognition of using his skills to inspire others—guiding children with autism in photography and actively supporting local disaster response initiatives.

  BAGUIO CITY, Philippines  — The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) officially conferred “Resiliency Hub” status upon the City of Baguio in a simple rite held March 26, 2026. Mayor Benjamin Magalong accepted the award, marking Baguio as only the second local government unit in the Philippines to achieve this distinction, following Makati City. The designation places Baguio in an elite group of disaster-ready cities, ranking fourth in Asia and eighth in the Asia-Pacific region. Baguio’s path to becoming a Resiliency Hub began in 2021 following a UNDRR invitation for peer-to-peer training in South Korea. Under the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative. Magalong challenged city officials to meet the rigorous global standards by 2026—achieving the goal four years ahead of the original MCR2030 target.A ten-point disaster-resilience scorecard was be used for the preliminary level assessment where the LGU conducted self-assessment of existing plans and programs backed by data and documentation. After passing the primary assessment, a more stringent scorecard was used to monitor and review progress and challenges in the implementation of plans and projects on disaster resilience. As a Resiliency Hub, Baguio committed to sharing its expertise through four key pillars: Advancing Inclusive Multi-hazard Early Warning Systems (RICH-MHEWS) Capacity Sharing – wherein Baguio City as a UNDRR pilot for the Resilient and Inclusive City Hub RICH-MHEWS – offers a capacity-sharing program that promotes inclusive and data-driven early warning systems. The service focuses on three key pillars: improving risk knowledge, strengthening inclusive governance, and scaling up knowledge dissemination. It guides local governments in developing barangay-level coordinated early warning systems that align with the Sendai Framework for DRR; Smart City Command Center (SC3) Benchmarking and Peer Learning – where the city shares its integrated emergency operations and digital governance. Through this service, Baguio offers benchmarking opportunities and structured peer-learning sessions for cities interested in establishing their own command centers of enhancing interagency coordination. Visiting delegations receive guided briefings on system architecture, data integration, crisis communication and citizen engagement using real-time monitoring tools such as FEWS, CCTV networks and the BIMP mobile app. The city also provides follow-up mentoring on operation protocols, information management, and public alert governance can work together to improve response efficiency and public thrust. By sharing its SC3 model, Baguio empowers other LGUs to build adaptive, transparent and data-informed emergency coordination systems aligned with MCR 2030s Resilient Infrastructure and Smart Cities agenda; Training on Community-based data gathering and risk assessments – Baguio City implements training sessions focused on community-based data gathering and risk assessments. The sessions equip participants with essential skills in utilizing tools such as the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS), hazard mapping, and participatory risk analysis. By enhancing local capacities in data management, Baguio ensures that disaster risk reduction plans and development policies are grounded in evidence and tailored to the specific needs of each community. This initiative empowers municipalities to make informed decisions that effectively address their unique climate and disaster risk; and,  Regional and Inter-City Resilience Forums and Learning Exchanges – Baguio City offers to convene and host regional resilience forums and inter-city learning exchanges that foster collab among local government, academic institutions, national agencies, and civil society. Building on its track record of organizing large-scale resilience conferences and DRRM capacity-building events, the city provides a platform for sharing of innovations, research, and best practices in disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, and inclusive governance. These forums encourage dialogue on critical themes such as risk-informed planning, early warning systems, nature-based solutions and the inclusion of vulnerable populations in local resilience strategies. Magalong thanked the members of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) for leading the LGU in achieving the award. “Baguio’s resilience is built on inclusiveness and shared innovation. By combining data, compassion, and collaboration, we help cities thrive safely in a changing world,” the mayor said. (JM Samidan-Baguio PIO)      

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – A total of 1,912 public jeepney drivers operating 45 routes in the city received the first P5,000 fuel subsidy in a distribution held at the Baguio Convention Center, on March 25. The funds are from the city government to help with the severe impact of the ongoing war in the Middle East that has resulted in the rapid increase in oil prices worldwide. Mayor Benjamin Magalong said that in exchange for the financial assistance, he requested that jeepney drivers adjust their trip schedules every night so that they can safely transport passengers from the various jeepney terminals to their homes in the barangays. It was learned that many passengers are complaining because even before their scheduled time, there are no jeepneys available for boarding, resulting in long lines of people at most terminals every night. According to Magalong, they observed long lines of passengers that began after a series of excessive oil price increases over the past three weeks. “ Now that we have addressed the small aid, it should be addressed through the commitment of the various jeepney associations to strategize their scheduled trips at night to ensure the availability of public transportation for residents returning home to the various barangays. According to City Social Welfare and Development Officer Liza Bulayungan, the more than P9.8 million needed for the first batch of aid to jeepney drivers came from the available Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) funds of the local government which will be distributed to all qualified beneficiaries until Saturday, March 28. She emphasized that recipients are only required to present a few documents to utilize the said aid, namely their driver’s license, certificate of residency from the barangay in the city where they live, and certification from the jeepney association where they operate aside from undergoing an interview from assigned social workers. Magalong also directed the concerned local government offices to continue to look for ways in which the city can provide appropriate assistance to the sectors that have been severely affected since there is no specific timeframe for when the ongoing war in the Middle East will end to pave the way for recovery and rehabilitation. He added that even if the war stops, it will still take about three to six months for the global economy to recover. “Therefore, any opportunities that can be used to reduce the effects of the crisis on people’s lives should be examined and utilized if possible.”

The Jollibee Group is expanding its inclusive employment initiative for senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) through a new partnership with the Baguio City government, creating additional employment opportunities across its restaurant network while reinforcing its commitment to inclusive workplaces. The partnership was formalized through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed on March 5, 2026, with the Baguio City local government, led by Mayor Benjamin Magalong, enabling qualified senior citizens and persons with disabilities to work in participating Jollibee Group stores across the city. Under the initiative, employees serve as Customer Relations Staff, supporting store teams in roles such as order presentation, drink service, table management, and guest relations across 12 participating stores of Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, and Burger King. Expanding Opportunities through LGU Collaboration Since its launch in 2019, the Jollibee Group’s inclusive employment program has provided job opportunities to more than 1,000 senior citizens and persons with disabilities across the country. The milestone reflects the company’s expanding collaboration with local government units nationwide, including partnerships in Manila, Antipolo, Pasay, Pasig, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Quezon City, Cagayan de Oro, Cabuyao, and Davao, as well as several municipalities in Rizal. The program was temporarily paused during the pandemic due to health and safety considerations, but resumed expansion in 2023. Since then, the initiative has continued to grow, with 451 senior citizens and persons with disabilities hired in 2025 alone. Growing impact nationwide: Since launching in 2019, the Jollibee Group’s inclusive employment initiative has provided job opportunities to more than 1,000 senior citizens and persons with disabilities across the Philippines, including 451 hires in 2025 alone, demonstrating how partnerships with local governments can expand access to dignified work while strengthening restaurant teams and communities. Supporting Joy for Tomorrow: People Pillar The program supports the Jollibee Group’s Joy for Tomorrow sustainability agenda, particularly its People Pillar, which focuses on strengthening communities and fostering inclusive and diverse workplaces. Joseph Tanbuntiong, CEO of Jollibee Group Philippines and Global Head of the Jollibee Brand, said the initiative reflects the company’s broader commitment to inclusive growth. “We believe that business growth is strongest and most meaningful when it is inclusive. By opening employment opportunities for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, we’re strengthening our store teams while helping more members of our communities remain active and engaged.” “When businesses work closely with local governments, we can create pathways for more people to participate in the workforce. In doing so, we help build more inclusive communities and contribute to the country’s broader economic and social progress.” Creating Inclusive Workplaces “At the Jollibee Group, inclusion means creating opportunities for people to work with dignity, independence, and purpose,” said Ruth Angeles, Chief Human Resources Officer of Jollibee Group Philippines and Head of Human Resources for Jollibee Brand International. “Through our partnerships with local governments, senior citizens and persons with disabilities are able to contribute meaningfully in our stores, bringing their experience, dedication, and warmth to the teams that serve our customers.” Angeles added that the initiative reflects the company’s commitment to building workplaces where everyone has the chance to contribute. “We believe that people who have the capacity and desire to work should have the opportunity to do so. By opening our doors to seniors and persons with disabilities, we strengthen our store teams while helping members of the community remain active and valued.” Restoring Dignity, Building Impact More than 1,000 senior citizens and persons with disabilities hired under the initiative stand as proof of the Jollibee Group’s commitment to promoting inclusivity and diversity in the workplace. By extending employment opportunities across multiple regions and continuing expansion into new cities such as Baguio, the Jollibee Group demonstrates how inclusive employment can create meaningful social impact—strengthening communities while building more diverse and inclusive workplaces. Recognition of partnership: Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong (right) presents the Key to the City of Baguio to Ruth B. Angeles, Chief Human Resources Officer of Jollibee Group Philippines and Head of Human Resources for Jollibee International (left), recognizing the Jollibee Group’s partnership with the city in advancing employment opportunities for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.