The city council has approved Ordinance 02, s. 2024 or the “Baguio City Cosplay Festival Ordinance,” which aims to support the diverse skills and talents of the community members by promoting their collaboration and learning from one another, and to establish a supportive social circle as a haven for individuals who may be socially awkward or face bullying because of their unique and varying interests.
The Baguio City cosplay community is a diverse and inclusive group comprising individuals of various ages, backgrounds, and interests that welcomes cosplayers, artists, craftsmen, photographers, videographers, organizers, and enthusiasts to its list of members. It has been growing over the years and boasts a substantial population reaching thousands of members.
“The Baguio City cosplay community is incredibly active and engaged in various activities, both within and outside of the city wherein its members regularly participate in local and national events, showcasing their creativity and skills through elaborate costumes and performances,” stated the ordinance.
The ordinance added the Cosplay Festival will not only strengthen Baguio’s identity as the first in the country to be named by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as one of the 64 worldwide in its Creative Cities Network but shall align with the Millennium Development Goals of empowering the youth.
Under the ordinance, the Cosplay Festival shall be celebrated annually every Oct. 31 or the closest Sunday to said date, which falls on the celebration of Halloween. But in peculiar cases where the date cannot be set, the Tourism, Culture, and Arts Division-City Administrator’s Office is authorized to determine the date of its implementation.
The Cosplay Festival executive committee shall serve as the steering committee to ensure the success of the festival. It will be composed of the city mayor and the city administrator as chairperson and co-chairperson, respectively, and a representative of the cosplay community as the action officer.
The members are the chairpersons of the city council committees on tourism, special events, parks and playgrounds and youth and sports development; city engineer; and the city tourism officer.
Session Road shall be closed to vehicular traffic to allow the conduct of activities for the festival, such as cultural performances, parades, food stalls, and other family-oriented activities.
The city government of Baguio shall encourage active participation from the different cosplay and buskers in the city to ensure the success of the festival.
Further, the ordinance enjoins minors to participate as cosplayers but strongly prohibits using them as instruments for solicitation purposes. Donation boxes shall not be allowed to be displayed wherever minors are the participant cosplayers. In all instances, Presidential Decree 603 or “The Child and Youth Welfare Code” and all other pertinent laws protecting children shall be strictly implemented.
A copy of the ordinance which shall take effect under the provisions of the Local Government Code of 1991, as amended, was submitted to the Office of City Mayor Benjamin Magalong for his signature.
The city council sent through Resolution 059, s. 2024 expressed the condolences of the officialdom and constituency of the city to the bereaved family of the former Board Member and Vice Governor Florence M. Belino-Molitas (formerly Florence Tingbaoen) of the province of Benguet who died on Jan. 21at the age of 70.
The resolution acknowledged Molitas exemplified unwavering dedication and leadership throughout her tenure as an elected public official, tirelessly fulfilling her official duties and traditional roles with a sense of responsibility and care for the Province of Benguet and its residents.
The resolution stressed Molitas had dedicated years of her life to public service as a three-term board member from 2007 to 2016 and vice governor from 2016 to 2019.
“She championed women’s empowerment, playing an essential role in advancing the rights and welfare of women by representing their interests on the provincial board and being instrumental in the passage of significant legislation such as The Gender and Development Code.”
Before serving the province, the late vice governor served the public diligently in various capacities, including as a dedicated midwife, barangay secretary, first president of the Mankayan Women’s Federation, and three-term councilor of Mankayan from 1998 to 2007, further underscoring her deep-rooted commitment to community service.
She also served as a board director of the Philippine National Red Cross-Benguet Chapter, contributing significantly to humanitarian efforts within the province.
“In recognition of her lifetime of dedicated service to the Province of Benguet and its people, the city government of Baguio extends its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family of the late former Board Member and Vice Governor Florence M. Belino-Molitas,” reads the resolution.
In Resolution 048, s. 2024, the city council issued a strong warning to the public against the fraudulent activities of the “Bagong Lahing Pilipino Multipurpose Cooperative” a.k.a. “Bagong Lahing Pilipino Development Foundation Inc.”, and urged the public to report any encounter, information, or any suspicious activities regarding any entities or individuals issuing and promising fraudulent torrens titles in Baguio City.
In the resolution, sometime in 2009, a dubious entity named “Bagong Lahing Pilipino Multipurpose Cooperative” was organized and reported to be issuing purported torrens land titles, and claiming authority under the Real Property Act of 1858 and Republic Act 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997.
The said organization allegedly holds registrations with the Cooperative Development Authority and the Securities and Exchange Commission and has targeted members of indigenous cultural communities and indigenous peoples all over the Philippines.
“In 2019, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples-Cordillera received a complaint regarding a fraudulent title situating a parcel of land in La Trinidad, Benguet to a certain cooperative allegedly issued by the Bagong Lahing Pilipino Multipurpose Cooperative.
The resolution stated recently, there were copies of fake land titles over a portion of land located at St. Joseph Village, Baguio City with an area of 305 square meters and another containing an area of 54,875 square meters at Loakan Liwanag, both issued by the BLP Development Foundation Inc., which are fake, but to an untrained and average person may pass as legitimate.
“The public is strongly warned and urged to be vigilant against unscrupulous individuals and their felonious acts regarding the issuance of fake land titles and to report the same to the appropriate authorities,” added the resolution.
May 6, 2024
