MORE NEWS., BAGUIO CITY

Family of 10 struggles for a patchwork home
By Ramon Dacawi

BAGUIO CITY -- When she learned Tuesday that a family of 10 needed old building materials so they won’t be ejected again, a young woman looked around her own home for whatever she could share. Not finding a nail, she texted, “Pwdng kahit anong gamit na lang clothes or anything?”

Told clothes were okay, she texted back:“I also have piles of newspaper her dat they can sell 4 dm to buy other materials.” The items will be picked up this week from the rented home of this 27-year old librarian in Benguet.

They’re for Anabel Lampaz, a 38-year old mother of eight who had lived in Quezon Hill, Quirino Hill, City Camp, La Trinidad.and now in San Luis Barangay. The family had been ejected over 10 times for inability to pay the landlords.

The family received the last notice to vacate last December. Anabel knows how difficult it would be to convince another would-be landlord with nothing to deposit and advance, to transfer whatever they have and then break another promise to pay when due.

Her latest neighbor, she said, offered a portion of his lot near the city cemetery for them to build their shanty.

So she and husband Raymundo, a contractual hardware store porter who relies on the arrival of cement, lumber and steel bars for his pay, appealed for donations. They need old construction materials with which to build a patchwork home.

Told to submit a written consent to have her family’s plight written about, for Samaritans to read and respond, she said her husband needed time to write it. She said they have no electricity.

Their eldest child, 22, and his14-year old brother, are also baggage boys at the city market. With luck, they earn P60 to P100 a day and help with the rent. Their father, at best, makes P130.

That’s why they’re only one month late in their P1,000-a-month rental, she said, almost with modest pride.

“The family members are supportive of each other but still they are financially constrained in providing their basic needs like food, shelter and educational needs of the children,” wrote city social welfare and development officer Betty Fangasan.

Only two boys are in school – a 10-year old in the fourth grade, and a 20-year old in his senior year as an information technology scholar under Rep. Mauricio Domogan’s educational support program.

The first girl, 21, does laundry for neighbors. The second, 17, got married at about the same age her mother did, and has a baby.

When she can, Anabel sells plastic bags at the city market. Most often, she has to take care of her one-year-and-eight-month old baby boy and her five-year old boy. She brings them when she hikes from their home in San Luis to where construction material donations might be found.

Donors may ring up the city social welfare office at 442-7893, or text this writer at 09193559873. As earlier reported, even a candle will do.


Choice on garbage site up to Baguio council
By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – The crucial stage of deciding on the final site of the city’s sanitary landfill now lies with the city council.

The body is scheduled to discuss the issue in its regular session tomorrow. The choice will be made among the five sites submitted by the City Solid Waste Management Board though chairman Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr..

The said sites were recommended by the Technical Working Group after months of thorough evaluate on and assessment..

The five recommended sites include a city property located in Sto. Tomas barangay while the other four are located in Benguet province particularly Palali in Sablan town, Poyopoy in Tuba; and Virac and Antamok in Itogon.

The city council committee on health and sanitation, ecology and environment protection chaired by Councilor Erdolfo Balajadia, to which the matter was referred, recommended that the matter be opened for the body’s discussion.

The five recommended sites were culled from a pool of 42 proposed locations after months of thorough study by the TWG. They were selected based on results of the assessments done by the TWG which included engineering considerations and a cost-benefit analysis.

Results of the cost analysis showed that Sto. Tomas would require a total cost of P61 million while the Palali site would need P77 million. Poyopoy would need P147 million; Virac, P164 million while Antamok would cost the most at P186 million.

The cost assessment includes the development of access road and initial landfill development. Antamok’s cost was highest because it included the restoration of an old riverbed.

Mayor Bautista earlier expressed preference for the Sto. Tomas site saying it is the most viable as it will require less cost and would not require the city to deal with other local governments in fulfilling the requirement for social acceptance.

He said that the Sto. Tomas site would enable the city to develop a three-hectare site for the landfill facility and the mayor said this would not be a problem as a one-hectare area could take two to four years to fill.

The mayor said the area could also be expanded as the site is surrounded by alienable lots that the city could later possibly acquire.

Apart from the Sto. Tomas property, the open pit mine site in Antamok as a special case as it was offered for the city’s free use by the Benguet Corporation, albeit it will require the highest cost.

The landfill establishment is being considered as the city’s long-term waste management scheme with the closure of the open dumpsite.

The city at present is relying on short-term remedies in managing its wastes.


Dads probe ‘secret’ casino in John Hay
BAGUIO CITY – Is there a secret casino operation in Camp John Hay?
Members of the city council want to know as much that they agreed last Monday to call for an investigation of the said report.

The move stemmed from a proposed resolution of Councilor Galo Weygan urging for the said probe.

Weygan said there was persistent and “consistent information” of a secret gambling operation in Camp John Hay and this is “known only to the elite.”

“The operation of casino in Camp John Hay is prohibited under the provisions of Resolution No. 362 series of 1994 under number 2 conditionality..,” Weygan said.

As per the approved measure, an inquiry will be made from the Bases Conversion
Development Authority (BCDA) on the matter.

The body will also ask the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct a separate investigation.

The move was approved “jointly and collectively” by the body. – Aileen P. Refuerzo


Mayor signs MOA for Baguio land use plans
BAGUIO CITY- Mayor Reinaldo Bautista, Jr. last week together with Rev. Fr. Jessie Hechanova of Saint Louis University signed a memorandum of agreement for the city’s comprehensive land use plans, utilizing modern technology from the academe for such endeavor.

The MOA takes effect, as signed last Feb. 25, and will continue until terminated by either party.

The agreement was done to have a “guide for the orderly development of the city,” through satellite images, thereby generating thematic maps as needed.

The city shall provide a planning team, licensed software to the laboratory, supplies and materials, and expenses for the whole duration of the said project. All data required shall also be provided by the city.

Saint Louis University, which possesses a satellite image of the city shall allow its use by the city, perform the analysis to be done by technical representatives from different offices, using facilities in the SLU Engineering Urban Planning Research Laboratory, and consent to assistance of graduate and undergraduate students in the project; as allowed by the local government unit of Baguio.

All procedures, however should be done within the SLU Urban Planning Research Laboratory, with all generated maps to be jointly owned by the school and the city. Permission would have to be requested from SLU if further studies would be done on the land use plan.

The signing was witnessed by other city officials and department heads. – Julie G. Fianza


P1.1 million Panagbenga tax paid to Baguio gov’t
Mike Guimbatan Jr.

BAGUIO CITY – Organizers of one of four major promotional and trade activity in this years Panagbenga celebration have already remitted P1.1 million to the city treasury Wednesday.

Panagbenga founder, atty. Damaso Bangaoet turned over to City Treasurer Thelma B. Manaois a manager’s check amounting to P1,111,688 representing revenues from the Market Encounter and Landscape exhibit at Burnham Park. The amount includes business taxes, Mayor’s permit tax and garbage collection fee.

The amount is a big leap from last year's P352,000 remittance by a different organizer for the same activity.

At least 316 stalls measuring 8’ by 8’ are selling various wares while over a hundred more are on reserve in the market encounter area at one end of Burnham park where it also host the landscape competition.

The amount was computed by the City Treasurer in her demand letter dated Feb. 23, 2008.

Without hesitation, Bangaoet personally delivered the Banco de Oro check.

Last year, the market encounter only managed to contribute P352,000 to the city income while the session road in bloom produced an income of P450,000 to the Treasury.

Bangaoet said the city government has helped a lot in promoting the annual Panagbenga or Flower Festival since it was first launched in 1995, it is now high time for the city to share from the festival income.

The sudden increase in tax share is mainly due to the increased participation of trade fair participants and cost cutting measures by the market encounter management.

Other trade related activity includes the Session road in Bloom, and promotional activities along two roads tagged as the Legarda nights and Abanao Nights,

Every year, at least a million tourists visit Baguio to witness the street and float parade competition. Expenses per tourist is estimated at P3,000 for the two days which means a whooping P3 billion gross income of the city in two days.


Tuition hikes assailed; CHED to ask school owners to lessen fees
By Adrian Galang

BAGUIO CITY – The educational system in Cordillera is commercialized, colonial and fascist, as manifested in the rising cost of education and the courses offered today.

This was the contention of National Union of Students of the Philippines Baguio-Benguet chairperson Maria Finela Mejia who said implementation of the Commission on Higher Education’s memorandum order 13 resulted to excessive yearly tuition and other fees hikes since the order allowed school owners to increase tuition and other fees without limit.

Aside from this, Mejia added the government and schools promote courses that are marketable and the ones with labor-export orientation.

“We should unite in fighting for our right to nationalist, mass-oriented and scientific education,” she urged around participants in the Cordillera who attended a conference entitled “Forging unity amongst various sectors towards quality education” held here Feb.

CHED officials during the conference said they recognized the students’ dilemma, adding they will ask school owners not to increase tuition and other fees.

When CHED mentioned its assistance programs, some delegates commented they could not avail of these scholarships because they did not meet the requirements of being “poor but deserving.”

CHED regional director Virginia Akiate urged students to pass a position paper regarding this so the CHED can review requirements of its scholarship programs.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers, meanwhile, faulted insufficient budget and government’s “misprioritization” of education for declining quality of education. “There are classrooms, books, and teachers shortages, yet the government allocates almost half of the national budget to debt services,” ACT Metro Baguio coordinator Perry Mendoza said.

These problems in education were noted true by delegates in Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, and Mountain Province.


New Cordi PNP chief gabs with RPOC execs on crime
BAGUIO CITY – Newly-appointed Cordillera regional police director Senior Supt. Orlando Pestaño had his first taste of working with the regional peace and order council and being told that the region is generally peaceful with crime having decreased the past few months in the region.

His predecessor, Chief Supt. Eugene Martin was promoted as Intelligence chief of the Philippine National Police based in Camp Crame.

Pestano met the RPOC here last week at City Hall wherein Mayor Peter Ray Bautista, welcomed members headed by its chairman Benguet Gov. Nestor Fongwan.

In a report presented by Police Supt Nestor Bergonia, crime volume in the region went down by 49%, from 373 cases recorded in 2007.

It decreased to 191 from January 2008 – February 2009. As for index crime cases it also went down to 128 compared to 266 cases, within the same period.

Average monthly crime rate also went down by 84%, from 7.93 down to 1.26.

Baguio City had the most crime volume, though there was significant decrease on number of cases, as it went down to 91 from 198 cases in 2007.

Benguet registered 45 cases, Abra, 22; Ifugao, 12; Mt. Province, 9, Kalinga 7 and Apayao 5.

On illegal/dangerous drugs, the PNP reported having confiscated P218 million, with 41 arrests, 26 cases filed and 55 delisted drug personalities.

Presidential Assistant for the Cordillera, Thomas Killip said the factor in decrease could be replicated in other parts of the country.

In an interview, Pestaño said their main priority was to focus on abating illegal drug use with the President herself leading the campaign.

He said his office is planning to invite other agencies, through the regional Phiippine Drug Enforcement Agency so they can formulate plans and programs for new projects, like livelihood so those into illegal drugs could find other sources of income.

Pestano said his office will also focus on peace and order situation in some areas of Abra, especially Tineg town.

The transformation program of the PNP, he said, would also be carried out to make policemen better law enforcers. -- Lito Dar


Caltex sponsors P1M for festival success:Caltex Cleaners to help clean Baguio roads after Panagbenga
BAGUIO CITY – Chevron Philippines Incorporated (CPI), one of the world’s leading integrated energy brands and marketer of Caltex fuels and lubricants, joins hands with the local government here in keeping the summer capital’s streets clean and free of debris as the annual Panagbenga Flower Festival, which draws thousands of tourists, reaches its conclusion.

CPI will deploy several brigades of its Caltex Cleaners, a group of men and women designated to clean up after the float parade and street dancing activities have concluded, along various roads in the summer capital.

Fast becoming a familiar fixture in some of the country’s most popular fiesta celebrations, the Caltex Cleaners also cleaned after revelers had long gone home in the Sinulog festival in Cebu, the Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo Aklan, the Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo, and the 14th Philippine Hot Air Balloon Festival in Clark Freeport, Pampanga earlier this year.

Caltex, with several service stations in Baguio selling Caltex with Techron as well as the popular Delo and Havoline lubricants products, is a major sponsor of this year’s Panagbenga Festival.

Caltex Brand Manager Dominic Timbancaya here Friday turned over a P1 million peso check to Baguio City Mayor Reynaldo Bautista representing Caltex’ sponsorship for the Panagbenga festivities. “We’re not just supporting the festival itself, we’re here for the people of Baguio and the Cordilleras who represent a key market for our Caltex brand of fuels and petroleum products.”

He added “beyond the financial exposure we’re here at the Panagbenga Festival as well to reaffirm Caltex’ commitment to a cleaner environment. This hews closely to the clean platform offered by our technologically advanced additive Techron in our line of fuel products, including Caltex™ E10 with Techron®, which is our answer to government’s call for environment-friendly, renewable sources of energy.”

“The Flower Festival is an important celebration for Chevron,” said Timbancaya. “Not only does it have deep cultural ties, but the blooming of flowers and crops reminds us of the importance of conserving our natural resources.”

CPI also renewed its ties with the Good Roots Program, a non-government organization based in the Cordilleras. Good Roots is a project on environmental preservation and livelihood development launched in 1991 by Caltex. The Good Roots Team teaches farmers and their families to maximize their lands’ capacity without using potentially dangerous techniques.

Since it started more than 15 years ago, the Good Roots Project has planted some 500,000 trees in Northern and Central Luzon. For this year’s flower festival, Good Roots booths were erected in various Caltex Service Stations in Baguio City to help the foundation raise funds by selling tree and plant seedlings as well as souvenirs to tourists and hand out brochures about its activities.

“This festival has a special place in our hearts. The city itself is an ideal place to promote the restoration of nature’s beauty, which goes in line with CPI’s own initiatives for cleanliness and environmental sustainability,” Timbancaya added.

Chevron Corporation is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies, with subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide. The company’s success is driven by the ingenuity and commitment of approximately 62,000 employees who operate across the energy spectrum.

Chevron explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and other energy products; manufactures and sells petrochemical products; generates power and produces geothermal energy; provides energy efficiency solutions; and develops the energy resources of the future, including biofuels and other renewables. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.

Caltex is Chevron’s marketing brand in Asia Pacific and parts of the Middle East and Africa. Caltex products and associated brands are sold in approximately 60 countries across these regions. More information on Caltex is available at www.caltex.com.


'Ash fall' puzzles Baguio residents
BAGUIO CITY – Environmental experts are puzzled on origin of abnormally high dust and ash-like particles which have been falling in this summer resort.

Suspicions of a volcanic eruption have been aired by residents here as sources of feather-like particles which have been observed, especially on windshields of many cars.

Experts however said the still unexplained phenomenon is not similar to ash fall that reached the city when Mt. Pinatubo in Zambales erupted in 1991.

According to Dr. Salvador Olinares, senior weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, the particles could be dust from pine cones.

Other environmentalists said the ashfall could have emanated from kaingins (slash and burn farms).

There has been no volcanic activity that may have caused the phenomenon, he said.

Residents said the phenomenon was abnormal.