Netizens to Baguio gov’t: Where are the donations?

 BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

Netizens questioned on social media where millions of donations in cash and kind for Baguio’s Covid efforts went after this was reported in a city hall press release. 

A total of P15.1 million in kind and P8.2 million in cash, checks and gift checks were donated to the City Mayor’s Office under Mayor Benjamin Magalong from March 17, 2020 to March 31, this year, for the city’s Covid-19 2019 response efforts, according to engineer Felipe Puzon, CMO chief of staff.
    The report said in Monday’s flag-raising rites at City Hall, Puzon said P3.5 million of the P8.2 million was remitted to the city treasurer’s office while the remaining P4.7 million was utilized for various projects and other activities.

These include the “SampungPiso para saMamamayan ng Baguio Program;” “Nutri-Bun Project” and  “Baguio Kitchen Community Feeding Program;”  purchase of sacks of rice,  grocery items  for relief packs, technical supplies, burial assistance to families whose members died during the pandemic, delivery charges of donations and other incidental expenses.

Puzon said 13,512 relief packs were distributed to the city’s underprivileged families, daily wage earners, locally stranded individuals, senior citizens and persons with disabilities who were not included under the national government’s 4Ps program.

Also reportedly given gift packs were Overseas Filipino Worker families whose members abroad lost their jobs due to the pandemic and Baguio residents who do not have incomes.

Puzon said donations in kind amounting to P15.1 million like food packs, face shields and masks, medicines, hygiene kits, alcohol, aerosol boxes, test kits and more, were distributed to local front liners from various sectors and offices, hospitals, barangays, neighboring towns and Benguet province.

Puzon said all reports on the donations were subsequently submitted to the Commission on Audit and the Office of Civil Defense.

According to some netizens, a detailed report on the matter should be uploaded online for transparency considering some barangay folks are complaining “walakamingnaramdaman,” meaning the moolah or goods didn’t reach them. 

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LalaineSobremonte, Land Transportation Regulatory Board Cordillera regional director, said during the city council’s regular session last Monday that anyone who goes out of their residence for essential reasons may avail of the “Librengsakay para samga APOR” program of the LTFRB.

Authorized person outside residence is a term used to refer to a resident who can move around, especially when going to work, without restrictions during a certain quarantine period.

A report by Jordan Habbiling, City Council staff said Sobremonte said since Baguio City is currently under general community quarantine, residents aged 18 to 65 are considered APOR and may enjoy free rides under this program.

Even those who go out to buy essential goods are considered APORs and may go on board a vehicle offering free rides under the LTFRB’s “LibrengSakay” Program, Sobremonte said.

The city council advised the LTFRB to inform the public that the program is for anyone allowed to go out of the house to cater to more people especially that long queues are still observed in many jeepney terminals and loading areas in the city.

Habbiling said several members of the city council also observed some PUVs offering free rides are plying roads with very few passengers.

Sobremonte said their office will intensify information dissemination and that the drivers will be reminded to pick up all hailing passengers since almost everyone going out is an APOR.

According to a social media post by LTFRB Cordillera, there are now eight routes in the free ride program for APORs and medical health workers as of May 27, 2021.

These routes are Baguio City - Dalupirip and vice versa; Ambayao - La Chesa and vice versa; Baguio City - Crystal Cave and vice versa; Baguio City - Binga via Twin River and vice versa; Baguio City - Binga via Guisset and vice versa; Baguio City - Kereng, Tinongdan and vice versa; Baguio City – Trancoville and vice versa; and Baguio City – Aurora Hill and vice versa.

The LTFRB-CAR urged medical front liners and APORs in these routes to avail of the program.

The “LibrengSakay” Program started on April 27 and will end on June 30.

The LTFRB issued MC 2021-008 providing guidelines on  nationwide implementation of free rides for medical health workers.

By virtue of MC 2021-029, the Libreng "Sakay" Program was reportedly expanded to include APORs as recipients of the free ride service.

According to Sobremonte, all transport cooperatives and corporations in Baguio City who have already consolidated into legal entities under the PUV Modernization Program were urged to support and participate in the LibrengSakay program.

Cooperatives or corporations on board the "LibrengSakay" program are paid P52.50 per daily actual kilometer for modernized and traditional public utility jeepneys and P82.50 for public utility buses where 30% of the weekly payout goes to drivers as their salaries and the 70% is given to operators to cover daily operational and maintenance costs.

The “Libreng Sakay” Program of the LTFRB is reportedly a derivative of the PUV Service Contracting Program which aims to give temporary relief to critically affected workers in the public transportation sector.