March 29, 2024

The city council on Monday, through Ordinance 42, s. 2020, has reverted to the general funds a total amount of P704,190,392 and appropriated it as supplemental budget for priority programs/projects/activities under the city’s Annual Investment Plan for fiscal year 2020.
In the certification of the Local Finance Committee dated Feb. 24, the accumulated amount was sourced from the: unappropriated surplus for 2020, capital outlay continuing appropriation-2017 and below from various offices, local development fund-2017 and below; reversion of obligation-2017 and below from all departments.
As per submitted lists by the City Development Council, the programs and projects which are considered necessary and proactive in addressing recent and emerging needs and demands for the developmental direction of the City of Baguio include the purchase of land at Topinao, Tuba for P120M.
For city-wide development are: barangay streetlight project in various barangays – P135M; City Hall annex, phase 3 at Camp Allen – P150M; procurement of emergency communication system – P30M; installation of median divider at Magsaysay Avenue and Bonifacio Street – P10.224M; purchase of a traffic simulation software – P1.5M; Athletic Bowl lighting – P5M; fencing of City Health Services Office- main – P5M; construction and fencing of tree nursery at Busol Watershed – P3M.
Livelihood and tourism-related projects are the: Satellite markets at barangays San Vicente, Camp 7, Dominican-Mirador, Bayan Park Village, Middle Quezon Hill, Irisan and Gibraltar – P35M; product development for weavers – P1.5M; product development for strawberry production –P5M; improvement and rehabilitation of the six tourism information center constructed by Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority at Mines View Park, Post Office, Baguio Convention Center, Harrison, Burnham, Wright Park –P8M.
For developments in the barangays are the: Rehabilitation of San Antonio Village sewerage system –P6M; completion of San Antonio Village day care center –P1.2M; improvement of road with drainage at Alphaville Street Loakan-Liwanag –P6.2M; road repair/improvement along Sayowet’s residence down to Purok 4 turning point at Poliwes –P500,000; transfer of road right of way originally between lots 9 and 10 to lots 12 and 13 at Kayang Hilltop –P1.8M; water system improvement at Barangay Kias –P9.9M; road improvement at Mercury Street near Pedrozo and Jucar’s residence at Upper Quezon Hill –P1.093M; continuation of sewerline from the turning point to Acco’s residence at Purok 4, Holyghost Extension –P2M; continuation of road improvement in Purok 6 at Dontogan –P2.1M; rehabilitation of comfort rooms of Aurora Hill Proper health center –P310,943; construction of sewerline of health center connecting to city sewerline at Aurora Hill Proper – P310,000.
For youth and development program are the: Baguio City Youth Convergence Center and Indoor Sports Complex at Athletic Bowl –P159M; and additional funding for the Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association meet –P4.3M.
Approved in Ordinance 43, s. 2020, is the allocation of a certain amount from the P150M anti-Coronavirus disease-2019 fund under Ordinance 30, s. 2020, for the insurance premiums of frontliners in all barangays of the city.
The ordinance cited as basis Administrative Order 270, s. 1992, which allows the sanggunian concerned to provide for group insurance or additional insurance coverage for barangay officials, including members of barangay tanod brigades and other service units, with public or private insurance companies when finances of the city or municipality allow the said coverage.
In the certification issued by the LFC, barangay officials including members of barangay tanod brigades, service workers and other service units have been at the forefront of providing services to the constituents of Baguio in the fight against the Covid-19.
The council has sent the city government’s condolences to the families of five Cordilleran soldiers who lost their lives in line of duty defending peace and order and security threats from government enemies and terrorists.
Four of the fallen heroes Corporals Jomar A. Niñalga of Monamon Norte, Bauko, Mountain Province, Razul B. Ao-As of Pasil, Kalinga, John Michael T. Manodom of Asin Road, Baguio City, and Private First Class Benson A. Bongguic of Sagada Mountain Province and Conner Apayao were among the 11 servicemen from the 21st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army that were killed in an ambush by the Abu Sayyaf on April 17 in Patikul, Sulu.
Another fallen hero is 2Lt. Ralf Almante C. Abibico also from Bauko, a member of Philippine Military Academy “Alab Tala” Class of 2018 of the Philippine Army 94th Infantry Battalion was killed with his two men in a clash with communist-terrorist rebels in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental last April 19.
The resolution stressed that the fallen soldiers’ selfless act of valor in fighting terrorism, as well as their sacrifice and service above self will always be remembered, appreciated and honored by their friends and comrades, every peace-loving Filipino, and the Philippine government.
In Resolution 238, s. 2020, the barangay officials of the city are asked to assist senior citizens and immunocompromised persons living alone within their respective barangay in terms of buying food and accompanying them to seek medical services, dental services or in the event of a medical emergency during the period of the enhanced community quarantine.
Relative to coping with the Covid-2019 crisis, the body in various resolutions has requested the: Department of Social Welfare and Development to provide food packs to employees in the private sector in the city of Baguio who were not accommodated under the Covid-19 Adjustment Measures Program of the Department of Labor and Employment; Baguio-based schools, universities, colleges and training centers to grant tuition discounts to all currently enrolled students who are affected by the disruption of classes due to the implementation of the Luzon enhanced community quarantine and for the regional offices of the Department of Education, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Commission on Higher Education to acknowledge schools under their supervision that will adopt and implement the discounts; Mayor Benjamin Magalong to mobilize the Baguio City Character Council to assist in providing services to uplift and promote mental, psychological and spiritual health to city and barangay government officials and employees in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic; and for the mayor to formulate a mental health development plan for the city through the City Health Services Office.
Also approved are resolutions condemning all those involved in the smuggling of persons into the city and for the BCPO and the mayor to monitor the borders and enforce the penal provisions of the “Bayanihan to Heal as One Act” to deter similar occurrences; requesting the DSWD to include the Barangay Nutrition Action Officers and the Barangay Nutrition Scholars as beneficiaries of the social amelioration program of the national government, subject to screening; for the CHSO and the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center to install toll-free hotlines and create online or virtual platforms through social media, vlogs, blogs, text messages, media, and other modes that will provide counseling services and mental health tips for the citizenry of the city; and for the private universities in the city to study the possibility of refunding reasonable school fees that were unused by the students due to the Covid-19 outbreak as a form of school assistance.