The city council has approved Ordinance 60, s. 2022, which established the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office into a department to be added to the 18 departments of the city government.
Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 mandates the creation of local DRRM offices at the provincial, city, municipal, and barangay levels.
The new department is responsible for setting the direction, development, and coordination for the effective and efficient execution and implementation of DRRM programs, projects, and activities. It is composed of three divisions with functions on research and planning, administration and training, and operations and warning.
The office shall be composed of a department head or a CDRRM Officer with a salary grade of 26; an assistant department head with SG of 24; and 84 personnel holding first, second, supervisory level positions with salary grades ranging from three to 22.
Qualified applicants for the department head are those holding master’s degree relevant to the job; five years in position involving management and supervision and one year of which is relevant to DRRM, with 32 hours of training in management and supervision on DRRM; and with career sivil service professional second level eligibility.
For the first two years of operation, pending the completion of the organizational development program (ODP) of the city government, the department shall be manned by the existing staff/personnel of the office.
The final staffing shall be based on the final ODP and with approval of the city council.
The salaries and operational expense of the department shall be sourced from the general fund while DRRM-related programs, projects, and activities shall come from the local disaster risk reduction and management fund.
In Resolution 361, s. 2022, the city council allowed the conduct of “Session Road Market Encounter” on the first Sunday of October as an opening activity of the celebration of Cooperative Month in Baguio in consonance with Republic Act 11502, which declared October as the National Cooperative Month.
The event is expected to provide more opportunities for cooperatives to showcase their products and services for their continued existence and survival in spite of many challenges and to become more stronger partners of the local and national government in economic growth and in strengthening social services.
The Cooperative Development Authority-Cordillera, the City Coop Desk, and the partner cooperatives would assist the participating cooperatives in securing their special permit and other requirements from the city government.
The city council through Resolution 363, s. 2022 commended Benguet Electric Cooperative, Inc. for garnering 16 awards during the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperative Association 43rd annual general membership assembly held last Aug. 10 to 13 in Iloilo City which brought prestige, honor, and pride to the officials, supervisors, employees, member-consumer owners, and the city government of Baguio and Benguet.
Among these awards are the 1. Ace of Tariff – given to electric cooperative that have the cheapest off-grid and on-grid electricity rate from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2021; 2. Gold Stellar – for attaining a 98 to 100 percent collection efficiency for the same period; 3. Sustained Improvement – for attaining a 90 to 94 percent rating in the Electric Cooperative Performance Assessment for 2021; 4. Prompt Payor – for timely and efficiently settling its annual dues to Philreca as of June 30; 5.Limelight – for attaining a 95 percent and above status of electrification from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31; and 6. Strong Commitment to Brotherhood – for deploying task force contingent to assist the affected electric cooperatives by Typhoon Odette.
Also commended in separate resolutions are the various Baguio-based cooperatives and individuals who rendered support and assistance in the spirit of binnadang or bayanihan to the earthquake victims in Abra.
These are the Cooperative Union of Baguio City and Luzon, Cooperative Bank of Benguet, 1 Loyalty Lending, Baguio Family and Friends Lions Club, Bavesco Multipurpose Cooperative, Baguio City Multipurpose Cooperative, Bamapcom Entrepreneurs’ Multipurpose Cooperative, Guisad Multipurpose Cooperative, JERM Family and Friends Consumers Cooperative, Libo-o Transport Cooperative, Printing and Publishing Multipurpose Cooperative, San Vicente Baguio City Multipurpose Cooperative, Timber and Lime Multipurpose Cooperative, Trusted BLISST Alliance of Transport MPC, and Abra Diocesan Teachers and Employees Cooperative.
The individual awardees are Susan Angaga, Angelita Gayados, Ralph Eduardo Yambao, and Mr. and Mrs. Alberto Mariano.
