MORE NEWS, BAGUIO CITY

Baguio mayor presses market dev’t takeover from Uniwide By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – If he will have his way, Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. would rather that the city government take over from Uniwide Sales Realty and Resources Corp. the development and managing of the city market.

The mayor during a press briefing Thursday said the city will benefit more if it will pursue on its own the development of the trading center rather than have it privatized.
The mayor expressed eagerness to begin the development project saying he hoped that the city council would give him the authority to begin talks with Uniwide for the project to gain ground.

“Of course I have nothing against Uniwide’s undertaking the project but if I have my way, I would rather for the city to take administration of the city market and handle its affairs rather than have it privatized,” he said.

He said that given the chance, he would convince Uniwide “to release the contract and allow the city to move forward.”

The city has just hurdled the legal obstacle that for 12 years has prevented it from pursuing the long overdue development of the market, the city’s supposed show window but which is now in a dilapidated state, after the Regional Trial Court here affirmed the validity of its contract with the Uniwide for the development of the market under the design-build-lease scheme.

Uniwide won the bid for the project costing P1.7 billion in 1995 but negative reports on its financial status over the past years raised doubts on its capability to pursue the project.

Under the lease agreement closed during the term of former mayor Mauricio Domogan, Uniwide will build a multi-storey building in the area and operate its upper floors for 30 years. The first floor where the main market place and legitimate vendors will be housed will continue to be operated by the city government.

Bautista said that should Uniwide release the contract, the city can explore other means with which to develop the market where the city can benefit more. Vendors’ groups responsible for the court case reportedly plan to appeal for reconsideration of the regional court’s decision before the Court of Appeals. But unless these groups succeed anew in obtaining a legal prohibition particularly a temporary restraining order or an injunction, the city is free to move forward and pursue the long overdue project.


2 Cordillera gov’t workers top nat’l test scholarships
BAGUIO CITY -- A scholarship worth P100,000 was awarded to two government employees from the region who made it to the Top Ten List in Local Scholarship Program- Master’s Degree Courses examination conducted May 4: Amistad, Febelene W. (PPC) and Laberinto, Philip T. (NEDA).

The two are among 40 passers nationwide from a total of 233 examinees who took the written examination for the scholarship test covering school Year 2008-2009. All 40 qualified in the interview conducted at the regional level. The other passers / scholars are entitled to P50,000 worth of scholarship each.

The scholarship covers tuition fee and other school expenses, book allowance and thesis writing and research assistance.

Scholars are also entitled to receive salaries, allowances and other benefits as provided by law and the period of scholarship shall be credited as continuous service, subject to the terms and conditions of scholarship and penalties for violations provided therefore. In 1993, the Civil Service Commission established the service-wide Local Scholarship Program – Master’s Degree Course (LSP-MDC) to provide educational opportunities to employees of the government who wanted to pursue a master’s degree.

The guidelines were revised in 1992 to include the grant of incentives to the Top 10 placers in the written phase of the competitive examination.


8 bagsakan centers set in Cordi towns
By Robert L. Domoguen

BAGUIO CITY – Cordillera residents will have easier access to basic commodities with the establishment of eight barangay bagsakan centers in their localities.

Patricio Ananayo, regional chief of the agribusiness and marketing division of the Dept. of Agriculture reported eight BBCs were set-up in partnership with local government units, multi-purpose cooperatives, and rural improvement clubs.

He said six of the eight BBCs are now part of the operations of the cooperating community MPCs as follows: San Quintin MPC, San Quintin, Abra; Agbannawag MPC, Tabuk, Kalinga; Kibungan Employees MPC, Kibungan, Benguet; Conner MPC, Conner, Apayao; Topdac MPC, Topdac, Atok, Benguet; Dantay MPCI, Dantay, Bontoc, Mt. Province, Pilar RIC, Pilar, Abra; and Danglas municipal LGU, Danglas, Abra.

The BBCs are being set-up by the DA to ensure food security, reduce cost of wage goods, and promote livelihood and income of farmers.

In addition, Secretary Yap has also mandated the NFA to utilize the BBCs as outlet centers for the sale of NFA rice at P25.

Ananayo said BBCs are also encouraged to buy local agricultural products at prices higher than the prevailing traders’ price and sell these products a bit lower than the “kantina” price to the local produce.

Meanwhile, Annayo said that the DA also initiated the opening of another trading center for agricultural commodities in Muntinlupa City which will benefit vegetable farmers in Benguet province and other vegetable producing towns in the Cordillera starting September, this year.

He said 13 stalls in this new bagsakan area, owned by the PhilInvest Corporation, were allotted to vegetables while four boths were allotted for cutflower products coming from Benguet and other parts of the Cordillera.


Killer quake memorialmoved July 16 to July 20
By Isagani Liporada

BAGUIO CITY – “The July 16th “Killer Earthquake” commemoration has been moved from July 16 to July 20.” City Disaster Coordinating Council action officer and city administrator Peter Fianza bared this a few hours after Typhoon Helen hit the city.

“Our civic action groups, to whom we are holding tribute for, are in the middle of disaster mitigation operations right now. We hope that the city’s constituency, especially our sponsors, would understand that we have to do what we need to do so that we could do what we want to do later.”

Earlier the City Government of Baguio in coordination with the City Disaster Coordinating Council (CDCC) and local civic action groups have prepared “something out of the ordinary” for July 16.

However, instead of holding the July 16 events at Malcolm Square, organizers transferred the venue to Session Road between Assumption and Mabini streets, to maximize mayor Reinaldo Bautista’s pronouncement for “car-less Sunday.”

Dubbed “Moving on,” members of various civic action groups prepared a number of activities showcasing “disaster preparedness,” a departure from “remembering a time of denouement” every earthquake anniversary.

At 9 a.m. an exhibit on disaster preparedness shall be shown along Session Road.

The exhibit which would last until 4:26 p.m. (earthquake time) features an exhibit of various rescue equipments, Red Cross Baguio-Chapter bloodletting mission, health mission and free “rescue and survival” experience which includes rappelling, slide-for-life, and wall-climbing for kids of all ages.

Likewise at 9 a.m., local media shall be conducting the annual “poni ni keyew” (tree offering) at the Busol Watershed.

At 4:26 p.m., upon sounding of the city hall siren, establishments along Session Road are encouraged to fly balloons along with members of local communication groups to symbolize Baguio, “has moved on.” At Session Road, local bands shall likewise celebrate “new life through music” via “Moving On: The Concert,” until midnight.

Participating bands include Third Party, Agi, Pickle Relish, Binhi, Sayote Republic, Tumble Weeds, 2nd Squad, Jam Disposition, Crimson Zephyr, Black Heaven, and Ambernoon, among others.


1,000 studes hit police ‘brutality’ gov’t policies in protest march
BAGUIO CITY – Around a thousand students protested “police brutality” as they marched the streets here July 13 airing one grievance after another against the Arroyo administration. Saying more massive youth protests would be done in this summer capital, the students marched to Malcolm Square despite the rain and attempts of police to stop and block them at Session Road and Magsaysay Avenue.

The youth protest was held as part of a national day of action calling on the Filipino people to fight poverty and corruption in government.

“Today, the youth walk the talk. The crisis is unbearable. We cannot afford to be confined within the halls of the academe when our future is at stake,” said Cori Alessa Co of the National Union of Students of the Philippines. Co said the participation of a thousand students was a strong statement of their resurging passion to serve the people. “In this terrible situation, we choose to take this outside, into the streets,” she said.

Also in the march were Anakbayan members who said if the weekly trend of oil price hike continues and 50-centavo fare hikes are approved, a student will need P392 monthly for transportation alone.

They said it’s like sacrificing two meals per month compared with the previous P6 student fare.

“We need structural reforms now, not cover-up solutions like subsidies for individual families,” says Sloan Ramos, spokesperson of Anakbayan. “What we call for is the scrapping of the Oil Deregulation Law so that the government can control oil prices in the country. Subsidies are worthless if prices of basic goods like rice are too high anyway for the public to afford.”

College Editors Guild of the Philippines chair Anjo Cerdeña said during the affair students and their parents are burdened further with yearly tuition increase atop the rising prices of basic needs. “With the prices of basic commodities in an all-time high, our parents’ savings would not be enough to cover schooling.”

Cerdeña said if the Arroyo administration is sincere in giving priority to education, it would “not just speak but act for a tuition moratorium at all levels, in both public and private schools.” He said the “Arroyo administration must resolve the economic crisis before it’s too late and before students drop out because they have no money left for school projects and other needs.”

John Silverio Saligbon, University of the Philippines Baguio Student Council chair whose constituents made up majority of the student participants, promised to intensify the protests in the coming weeks.

He said there was no way out of poverty under a president whose main agenda is political survival.

“There is no stopping the people, toughened by the youth, in removing a morally bankrupt government and replacing it with a pro-people program of, for and by the people,” he said.