March 29, 2024

The city council on Monday approved Ordinance 16, s. 2021 for the modernization and expansion of services of the Baguio City public library.
The measure aims to provide the public quality library services and an environment conducive to studying and reviewing and accessible and readily available beyond regular hours of works and studies. It is also a gesture of support to individuals, students, and young professionals who are passionate and driven to study in the city, the educational center north of Manila, to reach their dreams.
The measure cites Republic Act 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 that defines the reason and purpose of the Baguio City public library to serve the community by providing access to knowledge, information and imaginative works through an array of resources and services that is equally available to all members of the community.
Under the ordinance, the operation hours of the expanded and modernized city library is extended from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily from Monday to Sunday except on holidays or special non-working days. The 14-hour daily operation will serve the residents, especially the students and professionals after school and work hours for research purposes.
The ordinance also provides for the creation/establishment of a Baguio City library board, which shall act as advisory and policy-making body referring to matters involving the programs, projects, and activities of the library.
The board shall be chaired by the mayor and co-chaired by the chairpersons of the committee on education, culture, and historical research; and the committee on youth welfare and sports development.
The members of the board are the chairperson, committee on tourism; chairperson, committee on social services, women and urban poor; president, Liga ng mga barangay; Department of Education Division superintendent/representative; Technical Education and Skills Development Authority representative; Commission on Higher Education representative; and one from the private sector.
The modernized library shall maintain facilities not limited to discussion rooms; audio-visual room; improved connectivity (network); security measures; library sections (General Collection, Filipiniana, Law, local history, persons with disability, periodicals, special collection, and gender); online data sources (i.e. journals, international publication, etc.); online public access catalog; conference hall; exhibit and display area; and Internet room.
The library shall provide book-binding, photocopying, and printing services; coffee, food and charging station; and book lending.
For overdue books, the borrower shall be charged P20 per day per borrowed book.
All and any income derived from these services shall accrue to a special trust fund or City Public Library Trust Fund.
Additional library personnel shall be hired for its effective and efficient operation subject to the availability of funds and consequent with the results of the organizational audit of the city.
The City Librarian and staff members, as the board secretariat, within 60 days from the approval of the ordinance, shall submit and promulgate its implementing rules and regulations.
The body approved Ordinance 18, s. 2021 that amends Ordinance 94-89, which prohibits movie theaters from admitting children below five years of age.
The amendatory ordinance now allows admission of children below five years of age in movies or cartoon shows specifically intended for minors.
Owners/proprietors, their managers, and/or employees who shall violate the ordinance shall be penalized P1,500 on first offense; P3,000 on second offense; and P5,000 and cancellation of business permit on third offense.
In Ordinance 013, s. 2021, the monthly allowances of all barangay health workers and barangay nutrition scholars in Baguio was increased from P500 to P1,000 effective January this year to be taken from the P4.8 million allocated budget in the 2021 appropriations of the City Health Services Office.
Meanwhile, the body in Resolution 42, s. 2021 has suspended the implementation of the Truck Pre-Alert Support System (T-PASS) being conducted by the Dynamic Outsource Solutions, Inc. for cargo and logistics services passing through the borders of Baguio.
According to the president and chief executive officer of the company, no fees are being collected this time, but if the platform will be used continuously, trucks passing through the city shall be charged of certain fees soon.
City Legal Officer Richard Dayag said the implementation of the proposed T-PASS must adhere to the Department of the Interior and Local Government Memorandum Circular 2018-133 or the “Omnibus Guidelines on the Suspension of LGU Imposition and Collection of Illegal Fees and Taxes Relative to the Transport of Goods and Products.”
Atty. Genevieve Shontogan of the Department of Interior and Local Government-Cordillera said in the event the T-PASS will be made mandatory and as prerequisite of entry, it will be a violation of the existing DILG Memorandum Circular 2020-062, particularly on the provision that all cargoes (food and non-food) to and from entire Luzon shall not be delayed by reason of the quarantine and that LGUs shall not collect additional or unreasonable exactions, including pass through fees that would hinder the free movement of goods essential for the maintenance of communities and the provisions of basic commodities.