A groundswell of public support is building for Gladys Vergara to run in the 2025 local elections. This rising momentum has become evident as more barangay leaders and residents express their backing should she decide to pursue the congressional seat for Baguio City’s lone district. Gladys, the eldest daughter of Engr. Bernardo Vergara—a revered public servant who served as Congressman for 12 years and as Mayor of Baguio—is well-acquainted with the city’s political landscape. Over the past few weeks, she has been engaging with barangays and communities to gauge public sentiment on a variety of issues. “I am deeply humbled by the outpouring of support,” Gladys said, noting that the widespread encouragement has been both heartening and inspiring. “People are excited at the possibility of a Vergara continuing the legacy of public service.” Political observers are already predicting a contest between “Super Moms” for the congressional seat. Sol Go, wife of outgoing three-term Congressman Mark Go, is said to be aiming to succeed her husband, while Mark is reportedly eyeing the mayoral seat. Meanwhile, Gladys is receiving strong support from her father’s loyal political base, eager to see her continue his work in Congress. Gladys has a wealth of leadership experience, having served as Vice Mayor of Baguio City and as Chair of the Baguio Tourism Council since 2019, where she skillfully navigated the city’s tourism efforts through the challenges of the pandemic. Her political journey began early, with roles as head of both the city and regional Sangguniang Kabataan, as well as the Kabataang Barangay. An alumna of Saint Louis University, Gladys holds a Bachelor of Science in Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws. Beyond public service, she is a successful businesswoman, managing ventures in energy distribution, hospitality, and retail. She is also an advocate for the environment, founding the socio-civic organization Glad to be Green, which promotes sustainability initiatives. With her solid track record of competence, character, and compassion, Gladys presents a strong and credible political vision. Her platform centers on making Baguio a globally competitive and highly livable city, a legislative thrust aligned with the city’s future aspirations.

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Benjamin Magalong, represented by the city government, signed the Certificate of Successful Negotiations of two big-ticket projects, the SM Prime Holdings, represented by Vice President of SM Supermalls Engr. Junias M. Eusebio and SM North Luzon Regional Operations Manager Rona Vida Correa; and Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) represented by MPTC President and CEO Rogelio Singson and MPT Mobility President Roberto Bontia. The Market Redevelopment Project of the original proponent SM Prime Holdings Inc. and Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation’s Smart Urban Mobility Project. (MPTC) Negotiations officially began on January 31, 2024, and are scheduled to conclude on June 29, 2024. However, the period of negotiations was adjusted to align with the effective date of the PPP Code Implementing Rules and Regulations, on April 6, 2024. With that, the negotiations officially ended, and they were then issued their respective certificates of successful negotiations on September 6 and September 11, respectively. After in-depth discussions and with the assistance of the PPP Center, the parties agreed on the parameters, terms and conditions (PTC), modality, and general provisions of the Project contract. The valid documents must be endorsed to the City Development Council (CDC) for its confirmation, which will be followed by the Baguio City Council for appropriate action in accordance with the PPP code. Magalong said that the negotiations of other high impact projects are scheduled to end soon, particularly the Asin Hydropower Plants Development and Improvement Project of the Repower Energy Development Corporation, the socialized permaculture housing project and the creative center.

“I appreciate the trust and support of various groups encouraging me to run for a national post in the upcoming 2025 elections. However, I want to make my position clear: I intend to finish my term as Mayor of Baguio City. My commitment remains steadfast to fulfilling our good governance pledge to the people of Baguio. In my two consecutive terms as Mayor, we have worked tirelessly to address the needs and aspirations of our city, and I believe there is still much to be done. The trust of our people and the opportunity to continue to serve is most important to me as a public servant. Thank you for your continued support.”    

By Gaby B. Keith BAGUIO CITY — The city council adopted resolution no. 532, series of 2024, granting authority to Mayor Benjamin Magalong representing the city government to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with SRPost Inc., represented by its Chief Executive Officer, Changyong Oh, for the implementation of the project ‘GIS Map-Based AI Heterogeneous Data Convergence City Management System’ in the Summer Capital. In his letter dated July 9, this year, the Mayor requested for authority to enter into a MOA with SRPost Inc. for the said project’s implementation in which the august body’s committee on laws, human rights and justice, in its 2nd endorsement dated July 23, recommended approval. SRPost Inc. was selected for a three-year Research and Development funding grant from the European Research Coordination Agency (EUREKA) Network Funding Program through the initiative of the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO) of which the city government of Baguio is also a member. The approved measure stated that the company has selected the city as a pilot site for the said project with a key objective of a cloud-based smart city management system in line with Baguio’s vision to be a full-fledged Smart City by 2027. The proposed advanced cloud-based monitoring system targets to generate metadata from information gathered from live video feeds of surveillance cameras already deployed in the city which aims to enhance its situational awareness and facilitate more efficient city management with the provision of a user-friendly dashboard interface. The resolution stated that the said MOA shall be submitted to the local legislature for confirmation        

By JM Samidan   BAGUIO CITY — The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) – Baguio City Fire Station headed by City Fire Marshal, FSupt. Marisol H. Odiver warned the public against unscrupulous individuals posing as members of the fire safety brigade and charging fees for fire safety inspection services. The warning was issued after a concerned citizen reported the presence of individuals posing as “bantay sunog brigade” going house-to-house supposedly conducting fire safety inspection and charging P9,000 in exchange of a gas regulator with hose. “They claim that they were allowed by the barangay officials to sell house-to-house,” the concerned citizen said. Odiver said only BFP personnel are authorized to conduct fire safety inspection with the appropriate Inspection Order signed by the fire chief and that personnel must be in uniform with proper identification. “There shall be no fee to be collected during the conduct of inspection. Regulatory fees with BFP must be paid at the office with official receipt,” Odiver reiterated. She said this modus is similar to other tricks by unscrupulous individuals in previous years where residents are scammed into buying fire extinguishers from persons pretending to be employees or representatives of the BFP. Odiver appeals to the public to be vigilant and know the persons whom they are dealing with by asking for their identification card or by immediately reporting the same to the BFP-Baguio City Fire Station with telephone numbers 443-7089/442-2222 or hotline 09124096114.    

The Baguio Water District (BWD) was recognized as one of the world’s climate smart utilities at the recently concluded 3rd International Water Association (IWA) World Water Congress and Exhibition 2024, held from August 11-15, 2024 in Toronto, Canada. This year, the IWA Recognition Program expanded its scope and opportunities for recognition, aiming to increase awareness of the mitigation, adaptation, and leadership potential among water utilities worldwide. A total of ninety-two applications were received by IWA from around the world. Following a rigorous review process by three different experts and independent jury members, only twenty-eight applications were selected for recognition as Climate Smart. Sixteen utilities in the early stages of their climate-smart journey were recognized in the Entrant Category, while twelve utilities demonstrating substantial progress were honored in the “Achiever” category, which includes the Baguio Water District. Represented by Administrative Division Chief, Atty. Chanell Dolor D. De Guzman-Bitao, BWD received its Certificate of Recognition on August 15, 2024, at the Metro Toronto Convention Center. Other water utilities recognized in the “Achiever” category included Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Philippines), Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (USA), Ruhrverband (Germany) Igua Saneamento (Brazil), Aguas Andinas (Chile), Obras Sanitarias S.E. MGP (Argentina), Aguas e Energia de Porto (Brazil), National Water Supply and Drainage Board (Sri Lanka), Scottish Water (Scotland), Aquapolo (Brazil), and Water Authority of Fiji (Fiji). In response to the escalating challenges of climate change, BWD has prioritized its journey towards climate resilience as BWD invests in state-of-the-art water treatment technologies, energy efficiency measures, renewable energy, and environmental stewardship through tree-planting initiatives and water conservation awareness campaigns. Through these efforts, the Summer Capital’s lone public water utility continues to advocate for transformative change in the water utilities sector collaborating and forging partnerships with various stakeholders, including local government, and community organizations.        

BAGUIO CITY — As typhoons and different types of crises continue to disproportionately impact the Filipino poor, politicians take every opportunity to project their concern as elections loom. Baguio Tourism Council (BTC) chief Gladys Vergara said that the distribution of financial aid and government-funded packages to the needy should not be used by politicians as a venue to pursue their vested interests. Vergara appealed to government agencies, especially those handling financial aid distribution, not to allow crooked politicians to use their services for political gain. She also stressed the importance of transparency in public service and good governance for the best interests of the people. The Baguio tourism chief also expressed concerns about reports of city officials allegedly hijacking the distribution of financial aid or assistance and projecting such actions as their own projects or programs. She said these practices are part of traditional politics or a form of patronage politics.    

By Gaby B. Keith   BAGUIO CITY — “We must complement our environmental efforts with strong measures to address climate change and disasters effectively.” Thus, stressed Mayor Benjamin Magalong in his State of the City Address 2024 during the 115th Baguio Charter Day Anniversary program, September 1, at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center. He disclosed that the city was recognized with the Gawad KALASAG Award for 2023, achieving the prestigious ‘Beyond Compliant’ status which reflects the Summer Capital’s “significant progress in disaster risk reduction and management.” In addition to the Flood Early Warning System (FEWS), the Mayor said the city recently implemented a Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) in Dontogan barangay developed by the University of the Cordilleras in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Philippine Council. “LEWS uses sensors to track soil movement, soil moisture, rainfall, and temperature, providing essential data to mitigate landslide risks.,” he explained. The Mayor said the city applied for the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s (UNDRR) ‘Making Cities Resilient 2030’ Program in 2021, “however, we are ambitiously aiming to achieve full resilience by 2026.” He revealed that the city is supported by a three-year capacity building program funded by a grant from the National Resilience Council (NRC) and Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies (ARISE), and is implementing key initiatives such as the Green Building Code, Blue Walks to restore natural streams, and Green Walks to turn roads into green streets. “We also conducted a Social Vulnerability Assessment to address vulnerabilities in economics, population, housing, and disaster preparedness,” the Mayor said. He added that the city’s Comprehensive Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment (CDRA) leverages advanced technologies like digital twin mapping within its barangays.      

BAGUIO CITY — The City Government of Baguio, represented by Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong and City Environment and Parks Management Officer (CEPMO) Renan Diwas, facilitated the MOA signing ceremony for the Adopt-a-Park program. The three Private groups that participated in the program are the Calajo Food House, represented by Lendl Patrick Won and Francis Anthony Villalba. S.I. Baguio (Soroptimist International of Baguio), represented by Elizabeth Balagtey Perez and Aurora Verceles Alambra, and The Rotary Club of Creative Baguio, represented by Audrey Olay Sungduan. The groups signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in the Adopt-a-Park Program of the city to improve the condition of the parks. The Calajo Food House adopted the Circle/Street Island located along the stretch of Lower Session Road, while S.I. Baguio adopted the T.M. Kalaw St. corner of Luneta Hill Drive and North Drive to maintain the cleanliness, landscaping, and beautification of the Park. Meanwhile, The Rotary Club adopted Upper Wright Park to ensure the proper installation and maintenance of the solar lights. Photos by: Eunice Tomacder