The city council has approved Ordinance 98, s. 2023 for the amendment of Ordinance 47, s. 2021 or the “Baguio City Comprehensive Sports Development Code”.
The ordinance aims to further promote, expand, and improve the city’s sports program and to include suppletory provisions that deal with actual circumstances affecting the athletes, coaches, and sports enthusiasts of the city to address the challenges they face and broaden their benefits and privileges.
It also intends to include in the official list of the city’s sports programs other relevant local and international sporting events that were restricted during the 2020 health crisis.
The foremost amendment is that the cash incentives or monetary rewards given only to winners in sporting events duly hosted or organized by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, and National Paralympic Committee of the Philippines are now authorized to be granted also to winners in similarly organized, recognized, and accredited regional, national and international sports competitions of the National Darts Federation of the Philippines, the Private Schools Athletic Association, and the Commission on Higher Education.
Another is the inclusion of dart games duly sanctioned by the National Darts Federation of the Philippines as established and recognized annual/regular local and national sports programs and special events of the city government, such as the Baguio Day Darts Competition, the Panagbenga Darts Tournament, and the Cordillera Darts League Events.
Dart clubs or groups must register with the City Sports Council to be treated as bonafide local sports associations and be allowed to participate and represent the city in national and international sporting events, or receive cash incentives and other forms of city sports assistance.
Only accredited athletes, coaches, and trainers by the CSC are authorized to represent the City of Baguio and bear the name or official logo of the city in official uniforms, flags, or banners, in regional, Luzon-wide, national, and international competitions whether organized by the government or private sector; and must be duly sanctioned by the National Sports Association and all the institutions mentioned above.
Any dart club or group that fails to register with the CSC is ineligible from receiving sports assistance and cash incentives, and be subjected to the rules on amusement centers, particularly business establishments with darts hubs or hosting darts-related activities.
Financial assistance to LSAs for national-level sports tournaments or competitions shall not be less than P10,000 but not more than P25,000; international level – not less than P50,000 but not more than P100,000, subject to recommendation and approval from the CSC based on the number of athletes and days in the tournament, and other relevant parameters for the final computation.
When the event organizer or the PSC provides for the costs of travel, accommodation, and registration, the city government shall no longer provide financial assistance.
Financial assistance is subject to proper accounting and auditing rules and availability of funds.
The cash incentives for athletes shall have a P5,000 increase every five years for national and international sports competitions.
Other benefits can be arranged, coordinated, or provided by the host, organizer, the city delegation, or the Sports and Recreation Division.
A copy of the ordinance was forwarded to the office of Mayor Benjamin Magalong for his signature.
Through Resolution 675, s. 2023, the city council has allowed the issuance of special permits to all applicants with pending applications for business permit renewal to operate until the end of the processing of business permits in March 2024 as scheduled by the Permits and Licensing Division-City Mayor’s Office.
The resolution stated numerous renewal applications for business permits are waiting to be approved by the appropriate offices causing uncertainty for business owners who cannot operate unless they comply with the required valid and approved business permits.
Thus, in support of businesses and to ensure the city’s continued economic activity, the issuance of special permits in place of the pending applications will allow businesses to operate within the city and contribute to economic growth and development therefor.
In Resolution 678, s. 2023, all the barangays of the city were urged to implement in their respective barangays Ordinance 47, s. 2017, which mandates them to establish and maintain a persons with disabilities desk and create a PWD committee in their respective barangays.
The resolution is based on the proposal of senior citizen Councilor Estella Florendo adopted by the Senior Citizen Officials for-a-day council during its Oct. 9 session as part of the activities in celebration of the Senior Citizen’s Month.
The resolution stated under Ordinance 47, s. 2017, all city barangays are mandated to establish and maintain PWD desks and Committees in their respective barangays for the improvement of the total wellbeing of PWDs and their integration into mainstream society.
Thus, the request as there are still barangays that do not have their desks and committees that are supposed to help them and the city as a whole in data gathering as legislative reference for the improvement and proper delivery of basic services, programs, and benefits to all PWDs in the city particularly during emergencies and calamities.
May 4, 2024
