In honor of Baguio being a Unesco Creative City, here’s “Cleansing” by my poetic twin Gabriel Baban Keith: “I remember hunting for/ spiders at night/ With an empty matchbox/ and a flashlight/ caught up in the excitement/ of watching eight-legged warriors/ battle to the death/ with their own kind/ one-on-one/ on a thin wooden strip of/ walis ting-ting/ held on both ends/ by trembling/ fingers/ these quiet warriors/ doing their thing/ A tango of gore of/ fangs and web/ where death is quick/ and memory/ lingers.”
Anyway, the city government is currently formulating new vision and mission statements for the city that is more in tune with the changing times as directed by Mayor Benjamin Magalong.
The mayor formed a style committee led by City Administrator Bonifacio dela Peña, Interior and Local Government City Director Evelyn Trinidad, National Economic and Development Authority-Cordillera Director Milagros Rimando, and Assistant City Planning and Development Officer Antonette Anaban. Members include representatives from the public and private sectors.
The city’s current vision statement reads: “Baguio is home of diverse and dynamic cultures, center for education, trade and tourism in harmony with nature managed by God-loving steadfast leaders in partnership with responsible and peace-loving citizenry.”
The current mission statement is, “We shall create a sustainable and enabling environment that will promote economic stability and ensure the general well-being of our citizenry.”
Both were formulated more than a decade ago.
FYI: The city government will start the construction of a P435 million youth convergence center and indoor sports complex near the Athletic Bowl’s swimming pool at Burnham Park in April or May.
The target completion is next year.
Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president and Councilor Levy Lloyd Orcales said the facility is a dream coming into reality since the mayor has stressed that youth empowerment is a core concern under his administration.
City Sports Office head Gaudencio Gonzales said the project is a welcome development for the city’s youth especially local athletes who badly need an indoor sports facility.
