The city council through Resolution 222, s. 2021 has strongly urged the organizers of community pantries in Baguio City to coordinate first with concerned barangay officials before conducting their activities.
Prior coordination provides the organizers and barangay officials with clear plan and joint efforts to ensure utmost observance of the minimum health protocols and orderliness during the activities to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The resolution stated community pantries, although it causes mass gathering, are much welcome and laudable for they also enliven the time-tested bayanihan culture of Filipinos. But this activity must be implemented cautiously with strict observance of the health protocols to ensure public health and safety.
The resolution also encouraged the organizers and the barangays to request the assistance of the Public Order and Safety Division and the Baguio City Police Office, if necessary, during the conduct of community pantries.
The body, in Resolution 218, s. 2021, has requested the Department of Labor and Employment-Cordillera to facilitate the release of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (Tupad) beneficiaries in the city.
Tupad is a community-based package of assistance that provides temporary/emergency employment to workers from the informal sectors who are either underemployed, self-employed, seasonal workers, or displaced marginalized workers whose earnings are affected due to community restrictions and shall perform community work in their respective barangays for a minimum of 10 days, but not to exceed 30 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed.
The resolution said Tupad beneficiaries in the city who completed their tasks in various activities assigned to them by their barangays from March 15 to 29 have not yet received their remunerations or wages and no information was provided on the date of the payout.
In Resolution 221, s. 2021, the city council expressed its support to Senate Bill 2124, which seeks to further empower the members of the Sangguniang Kabataan by amending certain provisions in Republic Act 10742 or the SK Reform Act of 2015.
Among the amendments in the bill is the grant of monthly honoraria to SK members, SK secretaries, and SK treasurers chargeable against SK funds, subject to the guidelines issued by the DBM and may be augmented by the local government units through their respective local ordinances.
Candidates for the position for SK treasurer is being recommended under the bill to have an educational and/or career background in either of the fields of business administration, accountancy, finance, economics or bookkeeping.
On the use of SK funds, the bill provides these may be used only for student stipends, book and education allowances, sports and wellness projects, skills training, on-the-job-training assistance, cash-for-work, livelihood assistance, environment conservation, calamity preparedness, and capacity-building.
A maximum of 15 percent of the SK funds will be set aside for the mandatory and continuing training of SK officials and members.
The bill also mandates local government units to appropriate no less than one percent of its annual budget for the Local Youth Development Office primarily for the implementation of youth-related projects, programs, and activities.
Approved for favorable review are the SK annual budgets for 2021 of Guisad Central – P405,570; BGH Compound – P291,101.80; Harrison-Carantes-Claudio – P206,300; Middle Quirino Hill – P1,656,457.63; and Trancoville – P461,384.50.
Also approved are the annual budgets for 2021 of barangays North Central Aurora Hill – P1,928,707; Military Cut-Off – P3,840,000; Country Club Village – P3,554,127; and Ambiong – P3,768,386.
May 4, 2024
