The city council on Monday has requested all business establishments including educational institutions in the City of Baguio to consider rehiring retrenched employees due to Covid-19 pandemic as favorable to them upon resumption of their business operations.
The appeal, made through Resolution 487, s. 2020, is consistent to the Department of Labor and Employment’s advisory for the preservation/continuity of employment through work-from-home, compressed work arrangements, other alternative work schemes, and telecommuting as the country slowly transitions into the new normal in a bid to assist businesses to protect jobs, prevent layoffs, and retrenchments in the country due to global health pandemic.
The resolution sees that the gradual re-opening of tourism and other business operations would allow some, if not all, business establishments to resume operations and may be able to hire workers, who were retrenched due to the economic slowdown brought by the pandemic earlier this year.
The resolution stated that rehiring the employees would certainly give renewed hopes to struggling families and for a chance to better living amid the pandemic, most especially to youth and young professionals, as losing a job through retrenchment is depressing especially if it is not based on performance or other personnel productivity assessment.
Rehiring of the employees would also help avert the unemployment rate which DOLE projected to rise if the economic slowdown continues.
In Resolution 481, s. 2020, the body has urged banking institutions in the city to lower the interest rate on loans for micro, small, and medium scale industries to fuel economic recovery.
The resolution maintained that lower interest rate would encourage the business enterprise to prosper particularly those that were significantly affected by the slowing down of economic activity due to the lockdown.
The body, in Resolution 483, s. 2020, has requested anew the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board Central Office for the urgent promulgation of a fare matrix for public utility vehicles that is applicable during this Covid-19 pandemic until public transportation will be restored to its normal operation.
This is in response to the call of various public utility transport groups for fare increase considering the effect of the 50 percent seating capacity requirements leading to an income that is not enough for their needs and vehicle maintenance. This resulted to the imposition by some drivers of fares that are twice, thrice, and even four times more than the basic fare rates, in violation of the LTFRB imposed fare matrix to the detriment of the riding public.
In Resolution 479, s. 2020, the body has recommended not to practiceface-to-face learning modality in schools in the City of Baguio until the Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Technical Education and Skill Development Authority shall come up with specific instructions on the response to Covid-19 positive case in schools.
The advisory is consistent with the memorandum dated Aug. 14 from Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to DepEdSec. Leonor Briones informing the instructions of President Rodrigo Duterte and as recommended by the DepEd allowing the start/opening of classes in elementary and high schools, provided there will be no face-to-face classes.
Through joint Resolution 484, s. 2020, the body extended the commendation of the officialdom and constituency of the City of Baguio to Gen. Camilo Pancratius P. Cascolan on his appointment as the new Philippine National Police chief.
The new PNP chief is a native of Baguio, belonging to a family with distinguished public service. A member of the Philippine Military Class of 1986, Cascolan is a graduate of the Maryknoll Convent and the University of the Philippines Baguio High School.
Cascolan was appointed by President Rodrigo RoaDuterte as the new PNP Chief following the retirement of Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa on Sept. 2.
April 18, 2024
