The city council through Resolution 410, s. 2022 has urged the Department of Public Works and Highways-Baguio City District Engineering Office and the City Engineering Office to remove the tactile blocks installed on sidewalks of Baguio which do not meet the minimum requirements as provided for in DPWH Department Order (DO) 37 s. 2009.
The request is aligned with the obligation of the city government to ensure that sidewalks and walkways are safe for all, including for persons with disability.
Safety requirements in the DO are for sidewalks to be kept as level as possible and provided with slip-resistant material; have gradient of no more than 1:20 or five percent; have a maximum cross gradient of 1:100 and a minimum width of 1.20 meters; If possible, gratings should never be located along sidewalks; when occurring along sidewalks, grating openings should have a maximum dimension of 13mm x 13mm and shall not project more than 6.5mm above or below the level of the sidewalk.
The council pointed out while the DO mentions the importance of tactile blocks, it only requires to be used at the immediate vicinity of a crossing as an aid to the blind and not necessarily on the whole stretch of the sidewalks and it should be high enough to be felt by the sole of the shoe but low enough so as not to cause pedestrians to trip or to affect the mobility of wheelchair users.
The other guide for the blind in stated in the DO is to make sure that sidewalks should, as much as possible, follow straight, forward routes with right-angle turns without mentioning or requiring the placement of guide tiles.
The city council has requested Mayor Benjamin Magalong through Resolution 408, s. 2022 to issue an administrative order adopting Executive Order 3, s. 2022 signed last Sept. 12 by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., allowing voluntary wearing of facemasks in outdoor settings and reiterating the continued implementation of minimum public health standards during the state of public health emergency relative to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The request is to prevent any conflict with Ordinance 45, s. 2020 as amended, which mandates the wearing of face mask until the threat of the Covid-19 is eliminated or during the state of public health emergency.
Not fully-vaccinated individuals, senior citizens and immune-compromised individuals are still encouraged to wear their masks and observe physical distancing at all times.
In Resolution 424, s. 2022 the city council expressed its support to the pastoral statement of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baguio on the call to stop smuggling of vegetables.
The resolution also strongly encourages the constituents to buy locally produced vegetables in support of local farmers.
The Diocese expressed support to farmers who have long been complaining against vegetable smuggling and denounced any kind of vegetable smuggling that kills the local farming industry.
The pastoral statement signed by Most Rev. Bishop Victor Bendico desires for a stable, vibrant, and sustained vegetable trading in the locality as the agricultural industry will always be at the losing end when smuggled vegetables sold at a cheaper price flood the market which also sink prices of locally produced ones.
For the continued livelihood of various people’s organizations of Barangay Mines View, the city council has approved through Resolution 409, s. 2022 the extension of a tourism market encounter from July to Dec. 31 at the available space in front of the barangay hall.
As conditions for the extension, vendors are required to vacate the premises anytime that the City Environment and Parks Management Office develops the area; comply with the guidelines established by Cepmo; and pay back taxes starting July 2022.
In Resolution 423 s. 2022, the council commended the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority-Cordillera for being awarded as first runner-up in the Best Regional Office category, the Tesda-Baguio Regional Training Center as the Best Specialized Regional Training Center; and the Baguio City School of Arts and Trade as the first runner-up for the Best Tesda School, aside from garnering the One System for TVET Accreditation and Recognition Award for its Housekeeping NCII Program.
The awards were given during the National Tesda Organizational Excellence Awards held last Aug. 31 at the Tesda central office.
Also commended in separate resolutions are Kylie Veronika Y. Verzosa for bagging a gold medal in the 100 meters freestyle competition and bronze medal in the 50m and 400m freestyle competition during the Grand Prix Swimming Championships 2022 qualifying leg for central and North Luzon on Aug. 27 to 29 at the New Clark City Aquatic Center in Capas, Tarlac, and Liza Docyogen for being the back-to-back and overall champion during the MCFIT Classic 2022 held in Pasig City last Aug. 20.
