The city council through Ordinance 06, s. 2024 has approved the temporary closure to vehicular traffic of various roads within the central business district on certain dates and times for the highlight events of the Baguio Flower Festival or Panagbenga 2024:
Opening parade (Feb. 3, from 1 a.m. to 3 p.m.) – along South Drive from the entrance of Teachers’ Camp up to Panagbenga Park going down Session Road to Magsaysay Avenue up to the intersection fronting the Baguio Center Mall; from the intersection of Harrison Road, a portion of Jose Abad Santos and Lake Drive fronting the Baguio Patriotic School;
Baguio Blooms: Market Encounter (Jan. 10 to 31) – ingress/set-up of vertical landscapes/ exhibits at Juan Luna Drive and a portion of Lake Drive (skateboard area) near the Tourism Police Information booth, and Rose Garden for events/exhibits; and (Feb. 1 to March 3, up to 5 a.m. of March 4) – setting down and clearing;
For the grand street dance parade and competition and grand floral float parade, respectively, on Feb. 24 and 25, from 1 a.m. to 3 p.m. from South Drive, Military Cut-off Rotunda to Lower Session Road, Magsaysay Avenue, and Harrison Road to Jose Abad Santos Drive and Lake Drive;
The market encounter (Feb. 1 to March 3) – Juan Luna Drive and a portion of Lake Drive 2 (in front of the tourist police station and skating board area);
Session Road in Bloom (Feb. 26 to March 4) – the whole stretch of Session Road from rotunda to the corner of Magsaysay Avenue fronting Maharlika; and
Portions of Gov. Pack and Assumption roads; Fr. Carlu Loop; Calderon and Perfecto streets adjoining the Session Road will also be closed for special use and purposes, particularly main stage, emergency ingress or egress for garbage collection trucks, for delivery trucks/vans of pavilion owners, For BB-Picag emergency ingress or egress, and place for outpost. Mabini Street is open to traffic.
The policy and program review committee of the festival is tasked to ensure obstruction-free the T. Claudio, F. Calderon, and Diego Silang streets for easy maneuvering of public utility jeepneys and other modes of land transport.
The ordinance also prohibits the use and management of the said roads and areas by other people’s organizations, non-government organizations, government organizations, individuals, associations, or organizations of any kind, but exclusively to the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, Inc. and the Panagbenga 2024 program committees from Feb. 1 to March 4.
Further, the ordinance declares that no trade fairs or activities in public areas not included in the Panagbenga lined-up activities shall be approved by the city within the same period and 30 days after.
In addition, the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center is a designated parking space and alternate terminal for Victory Liner buses and other bus lines from 5 a.m. to midnight on Feb. 3, 24, and 26, and as the assembly point of all participants of the opening, street dance, and floral float parades, respectively, to ensure traffic flow at Upper Session Road.
The city council approved Resolution 026, s. 2024 mandating all barangays in the city to deputize engineers and architects within their respective jurisdictions for the preparation of programs of work (POW) and detailed cost estimate (DCE) of National Tax Allotment (NTA)-funded projects in the barangays.
In the resolution, barangay infrastructure projects funded under the 20 percent NTA, formerly the Internal Revenue Allotment, demand tedious POW and DCE preparation which cannot be managed purely by the City Buildings and Architecture Office and the City Engineering Office, considering their workloads, thus the need to seek the expertise of resident engineers and architects in its preparation, including supervising its implementation for quality and faster completion of projects.
The resolution further requires that before recognition and affiliation, these professionals must undergo mandatory registration and orientation by concerned city government offices to ensure a comprehensive grasp of local requirements, regulations, and project expectations, aligning them with standards for effective collaboration. This is to guarantee well-informed and prepared professionals contributing effectively to barangay project supervision and implementation.
Through Resolution 024, s. 2024, the city council expresses support of the City Government of Baguio to the efforts of the Philippine Government in protecting and asserting its sovereignty and sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea.
The resolution cites Resolution 2023-4794 of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Nueva Vizcaya, “urging all sangguniang panlalawigan, sangguniang panlungsod, sangguniang bayan and sangguniang barangay to express collective support for the national government’s efforts in protecting the West Philippine Sea.”
The resolution also cited Section 1 of Administrative Order 29 issued by then President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III on Sept. 5, 2012 naming the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago the West Philippine Sea, which refers to the part of the South China Sea that is closest and of vital interest to the Philippines.
This includes “the Luzon Sea, as well as the waters around, within, and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group, and Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal.
“In 2016, the Philippines already secured a huge victory when the Permanent Court of Arbitration established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) ruled in favor of the Philippine claim and deemed China’s assertions, including its nine-dash line, as unlawful.”
The resolution also stated the Philippines did not simply bring China to court, but even before filing the case, the government had already wisely chosen to settle the dispute with an Arbitral Tribunal under Annex 7 of the Unclos, with a registry at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, rather than with the other international courts listed by the convention.
The resolution added the Philippine government also called on China to comply with its obligations under international law, including the 1982 Unclos, the 2016 Award in the South China Sea Arbitration, and the 1972 International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea while also adhering to its commitments under the 2002 Association of Southeast Asian Nations-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
May 7, 2024
