The city council has declared the City of Baguio under a state of calamity due to the impacts of Typhoon Egay that caused extensive damage to essential lifeline infrastructures and residential areas; and landslides and erosions leading to loss of lives and properties.
Typhoon Egay is the fifth cyclone to hit the country this year with a peak intensity of 185 kilometers per hour with heavy rains and strong winds. It battered the city from the morning of July 25 until the early morning of July 26, uprooting trees and spawning massive floods, landslides, and erosions leading to the loss of lives and destruction of properties.
The resolution complies with the letter request dated Aug. 4 of City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, as the city can be declared under a state of calamity when at least 15 percent of the forecasted affected population based on science-based projection are in need of emergency assistance.
Of the city’s 128 barangays, 75 or 58.59 percent reported critical incidents, such as damage to houses or properties, casualties, and evacuees, making the city meet the necessary qualification to declare a state of calamity.
In the resolution, the initial report from the City DRRM Office showed damage as reported by Benguet Electric Cooperative as of July 28 to 31 on primary poles/lines and transformers is P5.3 million; City Buildings and Architecture Office on private/public infrastructure and properties – P4.3M; City Engineering Office on private/public infrastructure and properties – P4.2M; Department of Education-Baguio Schools Division on facilities and learning materials – P3.1M; and City Veterinary and Agriculture Office on facilities and crops – P1.2M, totaling P18.4M.
The CDRRMO also reported incidents of 163 leaning and fallen trees and branches; 34 electrical concerns; 17 incidents of flooding; 14 incidents of soil erosion; five stranded people/vehicles; 25 incidents of landsides; two clogged drainages; and one incident of medical and trauma assistance.
For public safety from the onslaught of the typhoon, then Acting City Mayor Faustino Olowan issued Executive Order 97, s. 2023 suspending classes, work in government offices, and the implementation of the number coding scheme in the city for July 26 as heavy rains and strong winds lingered over various parts of Luzon including the Cordillera and Baguio City.
In Resolution 504, s. 2023, the city council requested the City Budget Office to allocate funds for the city’s celebration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples and other activities and institutionalized events of the city.
The Indigenous People’s Day under Ordinance 87, s. 2019 is an institutionalized annual activity of the city every Aug. 9 with a working committee for the purpose.
The city council through Resolution 485, s. 2023 has authorized the city mayor representing the city government to enter into a tripartite memorandum of agreement with the Department of Agriculture and the Bilis Sto. Tomas Central Farmers Livelihood Association for the implementation of the Livestock Economic Enterprise Development Project of the Department of Agriculture-National Livestock Program in the city.
The P1M project aims to intensify the role and contribution of the livestock and poultry sub-sector by providing livelihood and assistance in enterprise development. It will particularly fund the establishment and operation of a rabbit grow-out multiplier farm in Sto. Tomas Central to be managed by the members of the Bilis Sto. Tomas Central Farmers Livelihood Association.
The agreement will be submitted to the city council for confirmation and with direction to the City Veterinarian Silardo Bested to submit a report to the council and reminder that the project shall be monitored closely for its sustainability.
The city council has approved Resolution 502, .s 2023 commending Allen Gacweng for garnering the “medallion of excellence” in the cooking skills area during the 13th World Skills Association of Southeast Asian Nations Skills Competition held at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Center, Singapore on July 23 to 25.
The medal of excellence is awarded to a candidate whose performance meets international standards based on the criteria set by World Skills International.
He won a gold medal after competing with 10 representatives from other ASEAN countries during the event. He was ably mentored by his coach Mary Kristine Iris Pasion and continuous monitoring and recommendations of Cordillera State Institute of Technical Education (CSITE) Vocational School Administrator Dr. Arlene Cadalig;
The competition is participated in by Brunei Darussalam, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.
Gacweng, a young cook from Mankayan, Benguet and a scholar student of the CSITE, was the lone competitor from the Philippines. He is a scholar under the Universal Access to Quality Education and a third year student from the CSITE taking up culinary arts.
He consistently won gold medals in the school level and in provincial, regional, and national skills competitions where the winner will automatically represent the country in the ASEAN skills competition and all other international competitions.
The city council in Resolution 502, s. 2023 has commended Sgt. Leo Matencio, Corps of Engineer, Philippine Army; and Sergeant Angelo Navarro, Philippine Navy-Marine, both of the Presidential Security Group, for their exemplary act of kindness and honesty.
Matencio and Navarrro found a wallet while on duty last July 8 at the gate of the Mansion containing ATM cards, cash amounting to P6,610, and several U.S. dollar bills, which they immediately turned over to the Pacdal police substation 3 through Master Sgt. Laire Lester Bullan and Corporal Caezar Castillo.
The wallet was claimed around 1 p.m. on the same day by the rightful owner, Invinzor Parcero Jr. of Bacoor, Cavite.
May 3, 2024
