The city council through Resolution 144, s. 2022 has requested President Rodrigo Duterte to veto the bill, which seeks to revise the Baguio City Charter.
Originated and authored by Rep. Mark Go, House Bill 8882 was approved by the Lower House on March 22, 2021 and was also approved by the Senate as Senate Bill 2163 on Dec. 1, 2021.
The appeal is to give time for consultation and discussion on issues and concerns to be addressed first as well as other vital policies and priorities that were overlooked and need to be incorporated therein.
Sec. Luzverfeda Pascual, head of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office, informed the final version of the measure they presented in the city council’s May 7 session is already an “enrolled bill,” a final version with approval by both Houses and due for transmittal to the President, which can be acted upon any time soon by the latter when it reaches his office.
A bill may become a law, even without the President’s signature. If the President does not sign a bill within 30 days from receipt in his office. A bill may also become a law without the President’s signature if Congress overrides a Presidential veto by two-thirds vote.
One of the concerns raised in the resolution is the substantial amendment under Section 3 of the Bill on territorial boundaries,which merely provides that, “The City shall comprise the present territorial jurisdiction of the city,” which fails to express a definite definition or metes and bound of the City of Baguio that is supposed to be vital part/proviso of the charter.
To avoid ambiguity thereof, it was requested that the definite metes and bounds of the City of Baguio should be incorporated to avoid another boundary issues in light of the municipal hall of Tuba, Benguet which is within the boundary of the city and of those affected real properties located in adjoining barangays like in Santo Tomas Proper and Dontogan which are tax declared in Tuba.
Other substantial amendments on the bill, that were captured in the Transcript of the Proceedings were included in the resolution addressed to the Office of the President and copy furnished to the office of Go.
A plebiscite was also requested to involve the people of the city in the process considering the substantial nature and impact of the entire revision.
In Resolution 120, s. 2022, the city council requires all business establishments in the city using services of delivery riders to allocate in their parking lot a space as waiting area for the riders.
The city Transportation and Traffic Technical Working Group was tasked to identify a common waiting area for the delivery riders for their safety and convenience.
The city council approved through Resolution 136, s. 2022 the One Town-One Product Trade Fair of the Onjon ni Ivadoy Association, Inc. in coordination with the city government and the 13 municipalities of Benguet.
The month-long activities from March 26 until April 30 at the Ibaloy Heritage Garden where indigenous Benguet products and the rich customary practices of the Ibaloys will be showcased.
These include product display of each municipality; a weekly workshop on Ibaloy indigenous food, plants and culture in coordination with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts on April 2, 09, 29, and 30; Black Saturday Gospel concert with ONIM Pastoral group on April16; and the April 30 closing program.
Weekends during the affair are reserved for concert-for-a-cause by Ibaloy singers and artists.
The Land Bank of the Philippines was requested through Resolution 143, s. 2022 to be lenient or remove its business permit requirement to transport cooperatives or corporations in their application for opening of bank accounts.
Bank accounts from LBP is required by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board for transport cooperatives or corporations before they can avail of its service contract program,but most are not qualified as they cannot meet the required business permit being required by the bank before granting them an account.
The resolution hopes that with the bank’s understanding on the plight of the transport groups and their uniqueness as already recognized legal entity by their Certificate of Registration with the Cooperative Development Authority or the Securities and Exchange Commission, the transport applicants even without their business permits can be given bank accounts for them to avail the Public Transport-related assistance programs of LTFRB and the Department of Transportation.
Commended in separate resolutions for their exemplary acts and good deeds are Baguio residents, namely: Maria Salvacion Riñopa Dacio and Shaira Catalonia Cabalonga, both graduates of the University of Baguio, for ranking 2nd and 10th ,respectively in the January 2022 Dentist licensure examination; Marissa Cayowet for ranking 1st in her age category and ranking 3rd overall in the female category of the “Ironman 70.3 Subic Bay Philippines” at Subic Bay, Zambales held on March 6, and for qualifying in the forthcoming Supersapiens: 2022 Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona Hawaii.
Ronald Padua Alban was also commendedfor his exemplary act of honesty, uprightness and integrity for returning P13,236 he found on his way to the rightful owner; and the “Warriors of Light” from the Benguet Electric Cooperative, Inc. and the Mountain Province Electric Cooperative, Inc. for their tireless service in the restoration of electric power supply in Leyte composed of Engr. Percival Aspillan, Domingo Falag-ey, James Oplas, Jr., Jordan Ayawan, Fermin Lawagan, Larry Pacsi, Dennel James Balad, Rufo Madilat, Brandon Pagoli, Nicasio Bartolome, Joshua Madongit, Bartolome Parrocha, Jr., Jessie Ray Beligen, Neptali Nevada, and Janus Tandi.
May 9, 2024
