BAGUIO CITY —  Mayor Benjie Magalong congratulated the 48 uniformed personnel and two non-uniformed personnel of the Baguio City Police Office who completed their Criminal Investigation Course (CIC) at the CIC closing ceremony on July 5, 2024. The CIC closing ceremony was held at the PSSLAI Center of Excellence for Advancement of Knowledge (PEAK) Hall. Mayor Magalong highlighted the significance of criminal investigation in accomplishing the mission of the Philippine National Police. He also expressed his satisfaction for the success of CIC Class No. 02-021-RCOR-2024-024. Certificates of completion and CIC pins were awarded with the Medalya ng Kasanayan being given to PCpl Fausto Junior T. Macli-ing for earning Top 1 and the Medalya ng Papuri to Pat Aldrin L. Faustino and Pat John Christian D Alan for Top 2 and Top 3 respectively. Leadership awards were given to PEMS Janet S. Saipen for being the Class Marcher and PMSg James A. Caday Jr. for being the Class President. The ceremony was also attended by City Director of Baguio CPO, Col. Francisco B Bulwayan, Jr; the Chief of the Regional Learning and Doctrine Development Division, Col.Charles L Domallig; and the Acting Chief of the Regional Special Training Unit-Cordillera, Lt.Col. Arnold C Dugas.

BAGUIO CITY – The Sangguniang Panlungsod is planning to once again increase the educational grant for qualified college students to encourage more applications, as recent reports indicate a decline in the number of grantees. Cynthia Langagan, Acting Assistant Head of the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), said since the implementation of the Baguio College Education Financial Assistance Grant (BCEFAG) in School Year 2020-2021, the program had experienced fluctuations in the number of grantees due to various challenges. Initially, the first semester of SY 2020-2021 saw 546 applicants out of a targeted 800. The low number of applicants was most likely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Numbers increased to 722 in the second semester. In SY 2021-2022, the first semester had 850 grantees, but this dropped to 627 in the second semester due to financial waivers, non-enrollment, failed grades, and alternative scholarships. The trend of decreasing numbers continued in SY 2022-2023, with 444 grantees in the first semester and 350 in the second, primarily due to the non-submission of documents and failed subjects. SY 2023-2024 saw an increase to 843 grantees in the first semester, indicating improved outreach, but a decrease to 755 in the second semester due to similar issues of non-submission and preference for other scholarships. Emphasizing practical challenges faced by students, Langagan suggested increasing the assistance amount from the current P8,000.00 per semester to at least P10,000.00. She argued that this adjustment would better align with the rising costs of education, including tuition fees that often exceed P25,000.00 per semester, not accounting for other essential expenses like books and transportation. She noted that one reason for the decline in the number of grantees is that other scholarships offer higher grants, prompting recipients to transfer. According to Langagan, there is also a need for an increased budget to accommodate more grantees. An additional P17 million would be needed to support at least 1,000 more students, she said. Langagan also proposed amending the ordinance to allow leniency for students who fail one or two subjects. She deemed this move necessary to ensure these students continue qualifying for assistance in subsequent semesters, thus preventing a decline in the number of grantees. Meanwhile, she acknowledged procedural gaps, explaining that while the CSWDO acts as the program secretariat and coordinates with the Vice Mayor’s Office for committee meetings, formal establishment of school-level scholarship committees has not been fully realized. She cited resource constraints, such as having only one staff member managing program oversight, which limits the ability to conduct school visitations effectively to monitor compliance and address issues like non-submission of requirements. Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda stressed the importance of implementing Section 5 of the BCEFAG ordinance which mandates the creation of scholarship committees in every school to manage applications and recommendations. The said provision aims to streamline application processes and ensure equitable distribution of scholarships without excessive bureaucratic burdens. Moreover, Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President John Rhey Mananeng proposed involving universities, particularly their registrars and guidance counselors to make it easier for students to submit their documents and to facilitate a faster and more efficient process. He said this would significantly reduce the workload of the CSWDO. Several members of the city council expressed their opposition to the program’s “politicization” and asserted that there should be no political interference in the screening and selection of beneficiaries. In July 2023, a council resolution was passed to ensure equitable slots for all members of the city council where each council member could refer 25 grantees to CSWDO. Some council members submitted referrals, while others did not utilize their slots despite invitations. Langagan said their office conducts assessments independently but welcomes referrals from city council members and that all referrals undergo the same assessment process. She stressed that their office discourages students from submitting forms through any councilor or politician to avoid any political interference. The BCEFAG was established through an ordinance enacted by the city council in 2019. The recent amendment to the ordinance now permits the acceptance of applications from students residing outside Baguio City but attending schools within the city. It also increased the original grant amount from P6,000.00 to P8,000.00, with the budget adjusted from P10 million to P20 million. Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan noted that despite the approval for a P20 million budget, only P10 million is currently utilized. The city council plans to engage in a dialogue with the Local Finance Committee to determine the feasibility of the proposed budget increase for the program. By Jordan G. Habbiling

The Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) took one more step ahead when its highly benchmarked Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) became officially connected to the national command center launched by the National Electrification Administration (NEA) on July 4. The command center, a NEA flagship project conceptualized by administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda, has a national dashboard to closely monitor in real time the situation on the ground of electric cooperatives especially during calamities. The command center also seeks to immediately address major electricity distribution concerns through data driven intervention mechanisms. Almeda and Sec. Raphael Lotilla of the Department of Energy (DOE) led energy officials and other stakeholders during the launch that saw an actual demonstration of the connectivity of the dashboard with the systems of three pilot electric cooperatives in their main offices – BENECO, Cebu III Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CEBECO III), and Misamis Oriental – 1 Rural Electric Service Cooperative (MORESCO 1). Melchor Licoben, BENECO general manager, was seen being personally congratulated by Lotilla following the explanation by NEA officials on how the command center will elevate to a significant level of innovation the way the country’s 121 ECs will be monitored. BENECO’s engineers and local mediamen witnessed the initial switch on connection from the SCADA room of the cooperative’s office in South Drive, Baguio City. It was a virtual affair that saw the guests and visitors at NEA and the SCADA engineers in South Drive, Baguio City in close watch with each other. BENECO, CEBECO II and MORESCO 1 were chosen for the pilot launching of the project since they have existing Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) in place. Almeda said 60 other electric cooperatives are expected to hook up with the dashboard before the year ends and hopefully, all coops will be on board by 2025. The facility for the command center was erected at the ground floor of the NEA building in Quezon City. “Rural Electrification is not anymore limited to simply extending distribution lines to households, but now also includes establishing systems for resiliency and energy security,” Almeda said during the launch. Among the 121 ECs in the country, BENECO was the first to have a SCADA which was installed in 2007. It was also the first to implement its own geographic information system (GIS) in 1999. The dashboard will rely heavily on the data provided both by the SCADA and GIS in NEA’S bid to timely inspect, assess and respond to the situation quickly in cases of power outages due to operational issues or natural and man-made disasters. Lotilla lauded the efforts of BENECO and the two other cooperatives to become technologically advanced by becoming smart grid distribution utilities. He said that through the command center, the electric cooperatives will be able to show the importance of their role as first level in the distribution sector. “The ECs will be able to provide timely data and information for key government agencies, the second level, and all the way to the office of the president during state of emergencies like typhoons and calamities. The 121 ECs are at the forefront in delivery of electricity. You have to interface effectively with your customers,“ Lotilla said in his congratulatory speech to the NEA. By Laarni Ilagan

Globe and Phil-Tower Consortium Inc. (PhilTower) recently joined forces to facilitate a digital literacy session for elderly leaders of Baguio City to equip them with knowledge on cybersecurity and address misconceptions on the effect of cell towers on health. The event, attended by 50 members of the Federation of Baguio Senior Citizens Associations (FBASECA) Secretary’s Club, featured Globe’s Digital Thumbprint Program (DTP), which educates the youth, parents, teachers, and the elderly about online safety and security, online etiquette and responsibility, digital discernment, and digital empowerment. “The elderly are among those most vulnerable to online scams and fraud. By understanding the different types of online threats, our senior citizens can better protect themselves and their personal information,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer. “Our partnership with Philtower in this undertaking not only highlights the critical role that reliable connectivity plays in enabling access to online resources and opportunities. More importantly, we are addressing the need for digital literacy to help senior citizens fully participate in the digital age and improve their overall quality of life,” said Michelle Ora, Vice President for Site Lifestyle Management Service. Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, through City Social Welfare & Development Officer Liza Bulayungan, expressed support for the initiative. Magalong requested Globe and Philtower to conduct more sessions to reach more seniors in the city, aligned with Baguio’s goal of becoming a smart, well-connected city. During the event, Globe representatives led the DTP training, explaining various types of fraud, such as phishing, spoofing, malware scams, online shopping scams, data harvesting, and social engineering.   The discussion also covered the significance of a strong internet signal for various online activities, the dangers of unauthorized use of repeaters, and myths related to radiation from cell towers Globe also addressed misconceptions about cell towers and radiation, sharing a video on the Department of Health’s stance on cell tower radiation, showing that wireless technology does not cause harm to health. Maida Bruce, Chief Financial and Strategy Officer at Philtower, delivered the closing remarks, reiterating the commitment of both Globe and Philtower to promoting digital literacy and ensuring a safe online environment for everyone. Philtower, a registered Common Tower Provider in the Philippines, builds shared future-proof telecom structures and facilities for indoor and outdoor coverage. The company is dedicated to creating a wireless canopy in the country to support a connected lifestyle. Globe has a sale and leaseback agreement with PhilTower covering 1,350 towers, located primarily in Mindanao.  The deal was in response to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) common tower policy, which mandates the sharing of towers among telecom firms to reduce capital expenditures.

BAGUIO CITY — Mayor Benjamin Magalong expressed deep regret over the impending closure of the Baguio Midland Courier weekly community newspaper which had ruled the region’s print media landscape for almost eight decades now. “Like the rest of the Baguio community, we are saddened by this development. Baguio Midland Courier has been the trailblazer, the leader of the pack in the city’s newspaper industry, a veritable icon and builder of the city,” the mayor said. “For 77 years, the paper had been woven into the fabric of everyday life in the city so much so that losing it would feel like losing a piece of the city itself.” “As a pillar of community journalism in the Cordillera region, the Baguio Midland Courier has always upheld the tenets of the profession establishing a culture of excellence and high standards for other newspapers to emulate. “The same ideals had been carried on by the countless journalists who were bred and nurtured with benevolence by the paper over the decades. “Its commitment to service transcended to the City Government by serving as its partner in disseminating news on the city’s projects, activities and programs. “Indeed, parting is such sweet sorrow as Shakespeare wrote, but as we finally bid adieu to the Baguio Midland Courier, rest assured that its years of dedicated, committed and selfless service will forever be etched in the collective hearts and memories of the people of Baguio, Cordillera and beyond. Farewell.” On BMC’s social media page, Antoinette Hamada, publisher and chief operations officer, announced that they still have three issues left, before they finally close the publication on July 22. “The decision to cease publication was a difficult one and the management deeply regrets any impact this may have on our esteemed readers, newsboys, supporters, contributors and advertisers,” according to the post.

BAGUIO CITY – The DOTr – Land Transportation Office – Cordillera Administrative Region, in partnership with the 𝐘𝐌𝐂𝐀 of Baguio City, is holding another Free Theoretical Driving Course at the YMCA Auditorium, located on the 3rd floor of the YMCA Building on Upper Session Road, Baguio City, on July 1-2. The two-day course aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of traffic laws, road safety, and responsible driving practices. It is divided into three sessions that cover essential topics such as road safety, traffic rules, and responsible driving practices. Attending the TDC is a major requirement for those applying for student driving permits. At the end of the course, registered participants will receive certificates of completion after passing a 120-item written exam. These certificates serve as proof of completing a recognized driver education program and can be used when applying for a student driver’s permit. The DOTr-LTO-CAR’s Regional Driver’s Education Center (RDEC) continues to offer free theoretical driving courses as part of its outreach program, making road safety education more accessible to the public. (DOTr-CAR post)

By Gaby Keith   BAGUIO CITY — The city government represented by Mayor Benjamin Magalong, signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) represented by Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza, for the implementation of the LTO-Local Government Unit (LGU) Interconnectivity System in the Summer Capital, on June 26. Director Noreen San Luis-Lutey, the project’s chairperson; Regional Director Joshua Pablito of the Department of Transportation-Cordillera; and city councilor Fred Bagbagen, chair of the august body’s public utilities, transportation and traffic legislation committee, signed the agreement as witnesses. The MOA was executed for uniformity and proper coordination between government agencies/offices in the implementation of interconnectivity or Information Technology (IT) systems either through the Other Government Agencies  (OGA) portal of the LTO’s Land Transportation and Management System (LTMS) or an Application Programming Interface (API). It also stipulated the responsibilities of both parties where the LTO, among others, shall evaluate through the Accreditation Committee, requirements submitted by the city government of Baguio based on a non-discretionary pass or fail basis depending on the presence and completeness or absence of the required document/s. The city government, on the other hand, shall ensure that its IT system that intends to interconnect with the LTMS shall undergo the mandatory accreditation process of the LTO to be compatible with the latter’s internal processes and IT system requirements; among others. As basis, the MOA cited several laws including Republic Act No. 4136, as amended, that mandates the LTO to register all motor vehicles and issue licenses to drivers of motor vehicles and implement effectively various transportation laws, rules, and regulations to achieve the desired objectives and uplift the economic well-being of the people. Also signed by both parties was a Data Sharing Agreement where the LTO is granting to the city government access to specified personal data for the implementation of traffic laws, rules and regulations through physical contact, non-contact, and other lawful modes of apprehensions. The lawful basis for data processing; procedures for use or processing of personal data; security measures to safeguard the confidentiality, integrity and availability of personal data; and more, are included in the agreement.

By Aileen Refuerzo BCPIO   BAGUIO CITY – The city government recorded 84 out 128 barangay are in minimum livable status, while 41 barangays were on moderately livability based on the intensive study of the livability index conducted by the City Planning Development and Sustainability Office (CPDSO) as part of the development of the Comprehensive Land Use Development Plan (CLUP) 2024- 2032.   Only barangay South Drive passed as a livable barangay, while Lower Dagsian and San Antonio Village showed a decrease in livability state. The CLUP describes the physical and economic development of the city for the next eight years. Mayor Benjamin Magalong said that the livability index was created with the Barangay Digital Twin Project, to determine the current condition of the barangays. The data will guide the city government and the barangays themselves in deciding their development goals towards being livable, inclusive, creative, sustainable and resilient in compliance with the proposed new vision of the city.   Digital Twin provides digital representations of barangays based on the audit and mapping of their existing structures and remaining natural covers. CPDSO Coordinator Arch. Donna Tabangin said that the livability parameters used in the analysis of the barangays were localized based on the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Philippine Development Plan. The indicators used were set by urban planners and experts who collaborated with the city government in the creation of the CLUP. These are: Healthy areas (based on proximity to the district health centre, community hand washing stations, liquid waste management, solid waste management and land ownership); In food sources (urban food/survival gardens, satellite markets, good preparation enterprises); Safety and Security from Crime (crime rate, roadblocks, response time to emergency events); Economic Opportunities (livelihood projects, financial empowerment projects, MSME support services, electricity connection, internet connection)   Accessibility (type of access to barangay and internal communities, ramps on sidewalks and public building entrances, pedestrian paths, sheltered public utility jeepney waiting area, accessibility of residences; Mobility options (close to school or barangay hall, with off-street pick-up and dropoff points, connected sidewalks and traffic accidents; Availability of essential retail and services (MSMEs for essentials); Safety and Security from Hazards (climate and seismic hazard assessment, floods, landslides and sinkholes, building safety, evacuation areas and fire response time); Areas and Interaction with the Community (open space to built-up ratio, proximity to open/green spaces, parks and playgrounds, library, culture and creative facilities, outdoor sports and recreation, community civic/social activities;   Clean Water Supply (connection to water supply, water quality in rivers and streams, rainwater harvesting facilities, uncontaminated waterways) and Good Governance (financial management, business development, community involvement and transparency and accountability).