Session Road heritage fest ordinance pushed

By Jordan G. Habbiling

BAGUIO CITY -- The city council approved on first reading the proposed ordinance to institutionalize a “Session Road History and Heritage Festival” on the third Saturday of April until the second Sunday of June of every year.

The ordinance proposed P500,000 to be allocated annually for the purpose.

Introduced by Vice Mayor Faustino A. Olowan and Councilor Elaine D. Sembarano, the measure intends to encourage Baguio residents and tourists alike to be in tune with the history of Session Road which “has already been forgotten and even unknown to most residents.”

“Session Road was named from the fact that it leads to the location of the site (old Baden Powell at Governor Pack Road) where the Philippine Commission held its first session in Baguio, and they conducted sessions thereat from April 22 to June 11, 1904, to which they were able to approve 74 Acts and 272 Resolutions,” Sembrano said in her proposed ordinance.

The Commission was composed of Governor General Luke E. Wright and Commissioners Henry C. Ide, Dean Conant Worcester, Trinidad Pardo Tavera, Benito Legard, Jose de Luzuriaga, James Francis Smith, and William Cameron Forbes.

Sembrano added that among the salient legislations of the Commission were the creation of the Philippine Senate and the Senate’s initiative to dub Baguio as the Philippines’ Summer Capital.

She cited a dissertation entitled “A visual history of Baguio City’s Session Road through photographs and primary dDocuments” through a website (blissfulhawthorn.wordpress.com).

Sembrano also cited different areas along Session Road with historical significance such as the Post Office which then served as a constabulary barracks and later a convent, and the site of Greenwich and Pizza Volante, formerly Session Theater, which was then a penal colony of at least 500 prisoners.

The ordinance proposed closure of Session Road on Saturdays and Sundays of each week within the said period to allow residents and tourists to walk freely from the rotunda near SM to Mercury Drug at Lower Session Road without vehicular traffic.

Restaurants and fast food establishments will be allowed to bring out tables and chairs for their customers “fronting their premises only and will not occupy the whole portion of the street.”

The proposal said there will be no trade fairs or selling of general merchandises along Session Road during the celebration as such activities are not in line with the theme of the festival.

Landmark areas along Session Road with historical value including the site where the old Baden Powel was situated will be provided with banners, tarpaulins, or other appropriate materials containing informational texts about these areas’ historical significance.

The proposal will recommend participation of the creatives in the city such as poets, painters, street performers, and storytellers and allow them to conduct arts events in specific areas along Session Road during the celebration.

A working committee will be formed for the implementation of this ordinance.

The committee’s tasks will be as follows:

Formulate activities or events to highlight the celebration; prepare the rules and regulations in relation to the bringing out of stalls by restaurants and fast food establishments along Session Road; coordinate with departments/offices and the businesses along Session Road; identify strategic areas where the culture and arts events can be conducted; ensure the safety of residents and guests during the celebration; ensure the smooth flow of traffic during the closure of Session Road; ensure that accounting and auditing rules are abided especially in the use of funds; after the celebration, and prepare a report for the enrichment of the event for the succeeding celebrations.

The proposed ordinance was referred to the committee on tourism, special events, parks, and playgrounds for further study. 

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Mayor pushes ‘win-win solution’ to transport woes

By Dexter A. See 

BAGUIO CITY  – Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said concerned government agencies and the city government will help the city’s transport sector look for  ‘win-win solution’ with implementation of the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization  expected to take effect next year.

Speaking before members of the city’s transport sector and concerned sectors during the PUBV modernization caravan here Tuesday, the city chief executive said that it is important at this point of the program implementation for the members of the city’s transport sector to engage the government on the issue by airing their views and bringing their issues and concerns to the attention of relevant authorities mandated to act on the matter.

He said the issue on the implementation of the PUV modernization deals with the varying interests of a cross section of the society, particularly the public, the transport sector, and the issue on the preservation and protection of the environment, among other issues needing utmost attention from the concerned government agencies.

“There is always a point of convergence for everyone and we will surely be able to reach a compromise,” Magalong said.

He cited the case of Metro Manila with its more than 500,000 motor vehicles producing more than 70 percent of the country’s carbon emissions posing threat to the country’s environment and must be appropriately addressed in major part through the sustainable and doable implementation of the government’s PUV modernization program.

According to him, one of the pressing problems of the country needed urgent attention by concerned government agencies is climate change and the one way to ensure the significant reduction on carbon emissions by motor vehicles is through the use of energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly motor vehicles around the country.

He said there will be consultations on modalities of implementing the PUV modernization program thus it is still best for concerned stakeholders to raise their issues to be addressed by the concerned government agencies because in the end, the necessary ‘win-win solution’ must be achieved for the overall benefit of the people and the country’s transport sector.

Instead of voicing out their issues and concerns on the PUV modernization on the streets, Magalong expressed his gratitude to the members of the city’s transport sector in choosing to attend the forum organized for the purpose of getting their concerns to be addressed by higher authorities to make the modernization program doable and achievable at the grassroots level.

The government is inclined to implement the PUV modernization program early next year with the expected consolidation of transport groups into cooperatives or corporations to realize the overall objective of improving the state of public utility vehicles plying the different routes around the country for the safety of the general public patronizing the public transport.

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DPWH Cagayan upgrades regional Apayao linkage

By Liezle Inigo

LASAM, Cagayan -- The 180-km road section along Ayaga-Sta. Marcela- Flora-Lasam Road in this municipality is now fully-concreted.

This was reported last week by Dept. of Public Works and Highways-Cagayan Second District Engineering Office saying, it completed its inter-regional road linkage between Region II and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) through the Province of Apayao.

District Engineer Lorna B. Asutan, believed that the newly-completed road will improve mobility of transportation and the accessibility to various goods and services.

This will also benefit the residents in the locale and the businessmen.

The newly-upgraded road project connects the town of Lasam in Cagayan to Sta. Marcela in Apayao.

“The completion of this project will help in bringing development opportunities that will uplift the socio-economic status of the residents,” De Asuten emphasized.

And added that the road will also shorten travel time from Lasam, Cagayan to the different places in the Apayao Province,” she continued.

Aside from the concreting of the said tertiary road which amounted to P62.265 million pesos, the project also included the installation of drainage system and slope protection structures.

The project was funded under the General Appropriations Act of 2018.

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DOST scholarship applications open

By Julie G. Fianza

BAGUIO CITY- Department of Science and Technology (DOST) scholarships are available for graduating senior high students in Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and non-STEM strand with downloadable forms at website www.sei.dost.gov.ph or could be procured from the Public Information Office, Mayor’s Office, Baguio City Hall.

The forms which should be filled up properly by the applicant, parents/guardians, guidance counselor, physician, principal and for RA7687 applicants, barangay official/s, need to be submitted on or before Sept. 6, 2019 at the DOST office, Km. 6, for evaluation and examination on Oct. 20, 2019. For the venue and other inquiries, the DOST scholarship staff may be contacted at tel. no. (074) 422-0979.

Said DOST Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) Undergraduate Scholarship application is open for the non-STEM upper top five percent of the graduating class, and all STEM students who want to pursue careers in basic and applied sciences, engineering and Science and Mathematics teaching.

In a letter to Mayor Benjamin Magalong, DOST-CAR Regional Director Nancy Bantog requested for information dissemination in the city’s senior high schools.

Applicants may be those who plan to pursue priority fields in basic sciences, mathematics or teaching; or for the DOST Merit scholarship program, students with high aptitude in science and mathematics; and are willing to render return service on a full-time basis for a period equivalent to the scholarship.

The scholars should study in state universities and colleges (SUCs); Commission on Higher Education (CHED)-identified Centers of Excellence or centers of development to the Science and Technology programs; and institutions with FAAP level III accreditation.

Student-applicants should d supply their personal data including the Dep-Ed learner reference number, affidavit of guardianship for parents who work abroad or who have passed on, certificate of good moral character, good health, principal’s certification, residency, parents’ certification of non-pending application for immigration, and household profile, among others.

A certification should be given by the applicant that he has not taken any previous DOST-SEI undergraduate scholarship, or may have qualified but did not avail of the award, and has not earned any post-secondary or undergraduate units.

The applicant should also pass the university entrance examination where he intends to study any, or related fields of sciences such as engineering, agriculture, biotechnology, chemistry, animal science, mathematics, applied physics, statistics, astronomy, secondary education major in sciences, chemistry, computer systems, veterinary medicine, environmental science, fisheries, food technology, forestry, geodetic and geography, geology, health, industrial studies, pharmacy, information technology, library science, management science, manufacturing, materials, marine, mechanical, medical laboratory science, metallurgical, meteorology, microbiology, mining, pharmaceutical, nutrition, packaging, physics, psychology, public health and science teaching.

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NCIP pushes non-military means to Cordi insurgency

By Rocky Ngalob 

QUEZON CITY -- The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples – Cordillera Administrative Region urged non-military approach to stop insurgency in the Cordillera last week in response to the government’s “Whole of Nation Approach” to address the problem.

The NCIP-CAR) set its priorities on the identified 47 red areas of Cordillera as its main recipients of its services in the recently concluded national management conference of the Commission.

The same is anchored on the Executive Order 70 Series 2018, where it discouraged military approach in solving insurgency and urged convergence of all government agencies to join hands in delivering services in conflict riddled communities to make the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and other insurgent groups irrelevant.    

In the conference, NCIP CAR devised its 2019 – 2022 strategic plan underscoring on the security and management of ancestral lands particularly on the confirmation of the Indigenous Political Structure (IPS), delineation of Certificate on Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) towards the Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development Protection Plan (ADSDPP) formulation, to the identified red areas of the region.

“These three components are symbiotic with each other – one cannot stand alone without the aid of the other”, said NCIP CAR regional director lawyer Roland Calde.

He added if these three components, are properly implemented to benefit indigenous peoples (IPs), “Ancestral domain and the dwellers therein will be self-sustaining and self-governing with little aid from the government and influence of the CPP.”

During the recently concluded Regional Development Council - CAR meeting, the 47 areas identified by the Armed Forces of the Philippines  (AFP), were the most vulnerable communities to most likely lean on the side of the insurgents – New People’s Army (NPA) due to the lack of government presence  and services. And even if there were any, it is not felt by the same.

These shortcomings were the same recognized by those in attendance during the RDC meeting and agreed, as collegiate body, to full execution of the “Whole of Nation Approach”. 

 “Apart from help facilitating the proper execution of IPS confirmation, CADT delineation and ADSDPP formulation towards a self-sustaining and self-governing Ancestral Domain, NCIP CAR will be wining back the hearts and minds of the disgruntled IPs by pouring available funds to Social, Economic and Development livelihood projects within the IP communities”, Said Calde.

These supposed self-sustaining and self-governing Ancestral Lands are considered, said NCIP chairperson, Allen Capuyan, as “IP Nations” themselves within the Philippine nation.

 As of this writing, there 138 Ancestral Domains in CAR; among these ancestral domains, 26 were issued with titles while only six CADTs are registered with the Registry of Deeds (ROD).

NCIP – CAR proposed 2019 -2022 strategic plan before the National Commission an average sufficient funding of 1.2 Million per ancestral domain delineation, 500,000 for IPS confirmation and another 500,000 for ADSDPP formulation or upgrading. 

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Sablan view deck tourist spot with local products

By Dionisio Dennis, Jr.

SABLAN, Benguet-- The municipal government here is giving tourists and ordinary travelers, who come to Baguio through Ilocos and La Union provinces, an alternative attraction that will also boost sales of local products.

 Councilor Romulo Polon, chairman of the tourism committee of the local legislative body, said on Wednesday that local hand-crafted products such as bags will be exclusively sold at the view deck in Barangay Banangan, which would give people a view of the sunset at Poro Point in La Union and the “snake-like” river from the Cordillera that drains to the Pacific Ocean.

The newly established view deck is about 30 minutes away from Baguio City.

 "There are Sablan-made products which are on display like bags made of local vines and recyclable materials, native woven items, fruits, and fruit derives like wine and the broom which is grown and made in Sablan,” Polon said, referring to the "pasalubong" center near the area.

He said there will be more products that will be displayed and sold there, probably including a freshly brewed Benguet coffee that one can sip while looking at the view and feeling the cold breeze, to add to the experience of those who “stop-over” at the view deck.

Soon, they will also include the products of the seven other villages of the town.

A tourism information center will also rise at the place, Polon said.

“Sablan is Benguet province’s fruit basket, producing several fruits on different seasons,” Polon said.

Polon said they are creating a system and talking with the local producers for the possibility of selling Sablan products at cheaper prices compared to those sold in areas, where the same is also brought because space is given by the government free of use for its people and as a come on.

Five years in the making due to lack of budget, the “pasalubong” center was opened on July 23, with the provincial government providing P700,000 for the completion of the comfort room and P650,000 for the pasalubong center.

The council has also passed a resolution asking for additional funds to further improve the place. -- PNA

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Child laborers in Ifugao to be profiled: DOLE

LAGAWE, Ifugao – Child laborers were reported to abound in this province, some working in farms or as house helpers.  

For this, the provincial Dept. of Labor and Employment hired 14 interns under the Government Internship Program (GIP) to conduct a survey and make a profile of all child laborers in the 11 municipalities of Ifugao.

With lack of database on the real number or cases of child laborers in the province, Joseph Tuguinay of  DOLE-Ifugao said the interns consisting of 11 enumerators,  two encoders and one  supervisor were hired and oriented last July 23 and will be immediately deployed to their area of assignment to do their work for six months.

The interns  will provide assistance in coordination with the municipal local government units where the profiling child laborers shall be conducted, conduct interview with identified child laborers and  their  parents or guardians using the prescribed profiling and needs assessment tools, profile persons with disabilities and encode the data gathered to be submitted to the DOLE Field Office head for review.

DOLE-Ifugao Field Office Head Samuel Lasdacan encouraged the interns to maximize their learning to better understand the GIP and the child labor concerns. He also urged them to participate actively and thanked them for becoming part of the government’s advocacy against child labor.

Child labor is one of the manifestations of extreme poverty that make use of children innocence for family survival at the expense of the children’s normal growth and development

The DOLE Regional Office mandated its field offices to start the profiling of child laborers in the Cordillera Region pursuant to Republic Act 9231 or the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Law to provide protection to children from all forms of abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation and discrimination.

 The law aims to protect and rehabilitate children gravely threatened by circumstances which affect their survival and normal growth and development over which they have no control.

 Data on child laborers will enable agencies to implement appropriate interventions p or   to reduce and eliminate the worst form of child labor.

Roxy Diane Bandao, a social worker  who will be the overall supervisor,  discussed what is child labor, the legal basis and the profiling situationers that include the estimated number of child laborers, incidence of child laborers in the region, child labor by age and sex, child labor by industry group, main reasons for working among children ages 5-17 years old, school attendance rate of working children and non-working children, exposure to hazards of child laborers, child labor hotspots, profiling tools, referral services, privacy protocols, ethical considerations and data gathering types.

Bandao cautioned the interns to observe confidentiality of information with other stake holders and offices including confidentiality of the child laborers profiled and their families.

DOLE-Ifugao Field Office Head Samuel Lasdacan encouraged the interns to maximize their learning to better understand the GIP and the child labor concerns. He also urged them to participate actively and thanked them for becoming part of the government’s advocacy against child labor.

The GIP is enrolled with DOLE’s Kabataan 2000 program that provides young workers the opportunity to demonstrate their talents and skills in the field of public service with the objective of attracting the best and the brightest who want to pursue a career in government service. (JDP/DBC- PIA CAR, Ifugao)

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DAR issues 654 CLOAS to Tabuk City farmers

CITY OF TABUK, Kalinga -- The Dept. of Agrarian Reform provincial office distributed 654 Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in this city.
 The lands they have been tilling for a long town   are now in their possession with the awarded CLOAs.  They were told not to sell their  CLOAs, instead  they should develop  their land  with  the  programs or assistance  of  the different offices to increase their productivity and  improve their  lives.

Placido Alsiyang Jr. representing Congressman Allen Jesse Mangaoang told farmers that the province’s lone representative to Congress is working hard for infrastructure projects including road improvement that directly benefit farmers bring their products to the market.  

Albert Galut of the Land Bank of the Philippines also oriented the ARBs on the bank’s Accessible Funds for Delivery to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (AFFORD-ARBs) program intended for crop production and acquisition of small farm implements.

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority – Cordillera Administrative (TESDA-CAR) OIC Director Manuel Wong also invited the ARBs to enroll at TESDA and train on agriculture- related training courses to improve their skills in farming.
            “Come and enroll in any short course you want, be it in driving, welding, engine mechanic – all these can help you maintain your farm implements and machineries aside learning from farming methods,” he said.

             Provincial Administrator Lawrence Bayongan representing Governor Ferdinand Tubban urged the ARBs to also engage in fruit tree planting to augment their income from palay production. “It wouldn’t be long of waiting for trees to bear fruits,” he said telling them of his experience in calamansi growing. (JDP/PAB-PIA CAR, Kalinga)

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Pangasinan fuel retailers ‘violating safety standards’

DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan — Several fuel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) retailers in Pangasinan have been found violating standards in fuel safety, the Dept. of Energy said last week.

The DOE said its Luzon Field Office inspected fuel establishments in Pangasinan municipalities and cities last week.

The FI was part of the agency’s compliance monitoring with the national petroleum standards by gasoline stations and LPG establishments. 

The inspections were conducted in Agno, Aguilar, Alaminos, Anda, Basista, Bayambang, Binmaley, Bolinao, Bugallon, Burgos, Calasiao, Dasol, Infanta, Labrador, Lingayen, Mabini, Malasiqui, Santa Barbara, San Carlos City, Sual and Urbiztondo.

Of the 145 gasoline stations the FI team inspected, 132 were found to have violated the regulations.

Some establishments were reportedly found operating without certificate of compliance, appropriate test measure and calibration record. 

The DOE said it gathered 184 gasoline samples and found 86 of them to have failed either the quality or quantity standards. 

All 88 samples of automotive diesel oil were found to be compliant. 

Of the 78 LPG establishments and four LPG refilling plants inspected, 53 were found without standard compliance certificates, and selling LPG cylinders with inappropriate seals and underfilled LPG cylinders. 

All failed samples were brought to the DOE laboratory for confirmation testing.

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SM, Megawide, Robinson’s to join Baguio terminal proj

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said three Manila-based terminal operators have already signified their intention to participate in the city government’s plan to put up a south-bound terminal within a portion of the 8-hectare lot ceded to the city by the agriculture department through a deed of usufruct.

The city chief executive said that Shoemart, Megawide and Robinsons, three of the biggest terminal operators based in Metro Manila, already informed him of their intention to cooperate with the city government for the realization of the south-bound bus terminal to help decongest the city’s central business district of the presence of south-bound buses.

He said the city government needs around 4 hectares of the ceded property purposely for this facility as a 3-hectare portion will be for the establishment of the proposed waste-to-energy plant while the remaining 1 hectare will be for a multipurpose use which will be determined by the city.

Earlier, Magalong revealed the city government intends to put up some six terminals and parking structures in strategic areas around the city for the parking requirements of buses plying different destinations outside the city aside from providing adequate parking spaces for motor vehicles coming from different areas.

Apart from the proposed south-bound bus terminal, the other proposed terminals and parking structures will be located within the 8,000-square meter property of Dwight Nicolas Bello in Irisan for west-bound buses, the Slaughterhouse bus terminal for north-bound buses, the State-owned Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) property that will serve as a central bus terminal and parking structure and the proposed P200 million multi-level parking structure at the back of the Baguio Convention Center.

Magalong ordered concerned offices of the city government to fastrack the survey of the Baguio Dairy Farm to ascertain the areas ceded to the city and for the immediate completion of the comprehensive master development plan as there are two major strategic projects planned for the said area.

Former Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan negotiated with Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol for the ceding of an 8-hectare portion of the 94-hectare Baguio Dairy Farm property of the agency to the city government purposely for the priority projects of the city through a 50-year deed of usufruct.

Initially, the city’s temporary waste transfer station was constructed in a 5,000-square meter portion of the ceded property after a La Trinidad court barred the local government’s hauler in using his property in Longlong, Puguis, La Trinidad, Benguet as a staging area for the city’s residual waste prior to being hauled out to the Urdaneta City, Pangasinan engineered sanitary landfill.

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City gov’t moves to protect Busol watershed vs squatters

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – The city government began its planned series of actions to protect the critical Busol watershed, the city’s biggest source of potable water, against further intrusions like illegal settlers or squatters.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong in a press briefing Aug. 2 bared the city through the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) issued cease and desist notices to about five owners of ongoing constructions within the forest reservation.

The mayor said this would be followed through with succeeding notices for them to voluntarily dismantle their structures but if they will defy the orders, then the city will be forced to undertake the demolition in the coming days.

Magalong said all ongoing structures will have to go as the city’s first wave of action to save the watershed.

Those entangled in court cases will be dealt with eventually through joint actions with the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources Cordillera (DENR-CAR).

The city will also collaborate with the DENR-CAR to pursue the reversion procedures to reclaim the 7.8 hectare lot within the Busol watershed that was allegedly illegally titled by unscrupulous individuals.

The filing of the case for reversion rests with the Office of the Solicitor General and up to now since the matter was discovered in 2015, the procedure has not been started despite several follow-ups done by the city and the DENR-CAR. 

The City Legal Office said they plan to ask the mayor to invite the OSG to the city for a dialogue to further explain the situation.

Asst. City legal officer Melchor Carlos Rabanes said the city government as early as July 28, 2014 forwarded the matter to the OSG for the filing of reversion case to cancel the Original Certificate of Title No. 018-0-162 covers an area of 77,849 square meters which was subdivided into 22 lots with duly issued Transfer Certificates of Title (TCTs). 

Also on Sept. 6, 2013, the city also filed an affidavit of adverse claim for annotation to the contested title and the 22 derivative ones

In 2013, then city assessor Nilda Navarro discovered the spurious titles upon review of applications for tax declaration covering the subdivided lots and noticed the lack of revalidation before its subdivision.

The subject lot is covered by a 211 title or part of those titles issued under Civil Reservation Case No. 1 Record 211 and which were declared void by the Supreme Court because the court that issued the same had no jurisdiction.  The said titles can be legalized only upon undergoing validation proceedings.

The Baguio Regreening Movement (BRM) chaired by former city prosecutor Erdolfo Balajadia also planned a joint action with the city government, DENR-CAR and the Baguio Water District to pursue the reversion process to cancel the irregular titles along with the court case against those responsible for the illegal titling and the filing of a petition for the issuance of a temporary environmental protection order (TEPO) or a Writ of Kalikasan to protect Busol.

Another issue on Busol which the mayor is expected to address soon is the structures up for demolition covered by Demolition Order No. 33 series of 2005 of former mayor Braulio Yaranon.

The Supreme Court in a decision dated February 4, 2009 sustained the city government’s bid to demolish said structures by alleged ancestral land claimants.

The High Tribunal sustained the city government’s contention that the city is governed by its charter and “thus, (lot occupants) cannot claim their alleged ancestral lands under the provisions of the Indigenous People’s Rights Act (IPRA).”

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Loakan Airport reopening set 2020

By Rithan Haize Dullona

BAGUIO CITY -- The city government is mulling the reopening of the Loakan Airport, which ceased commercial operations in the 1990s, through a public-private partnership (PPP).

In an interview, Mayor Benjamin Magalong said he would meet with officials of the Dept. of Transportation to discuss the proposal to reopen the airport for commercial operations.

“We are in the process of drafting a proposal which when agreed upon by the DOTr, the local government and DOTr would come up with an agreement that we will manage the facilities and the operation of the airport,” Magalong said on Tuesday.

Built in 1934, Loakan Airport is the only airport in the Cordillera. Prior to the 1990 earthquake, commercial airplanes serviced the city but stopped after the devastation brought about by the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit Luzon in 1990.

Magalong said once the city had been granted permission to operate the airport, it would enter into a PPP scheme with a private firm.

“We will look for a third party, a group that will fully oversee the management, will have direct management of the facility... agreement will be between the LGU and the third party,” he said.

Magalong also bared that he would meet with officials of PALExpress, a PAL subsidiary, after he had been initially approached regarding the plan to reopen the airport.

              “Fina-fasttrack namin. Hopefully by next year, early next year, mapatakbo na natin 'yan, ma-open na natin 'yan (We are fasttracking and hopefully by early next year, we can open it [Loakan airport] and operate it again)," he said.

              Once operational, the airport would cater only to domestic flights, a clamor of tourists who travel to Baguio.

Magalong said tourists were discouraged from going to Baguio due to the long hours of travel and the traffic congestion.

In 2017, the city government placed the rehabilitation of the Loakan Airport among its priorities. The same was carried by the Regional Development Council in its 2018 Regional Infrastructure Development Projects for the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

On the first semester of 2018, officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines visited the airport to see if some upgrading could again make the facility viable for regular air travel.

At present, the Loakan Airport is being used by the Philippine Air Force and the presidential chopper, but not by commercial flights due to its small size, pedestrians near the site, and the upland fog that hinders night vision. -- PNA

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Ex-Kalinga mayor, wife get 34 years for graft, bribery

TABUK CITY, Kalinga -- The Sandiganbayan has sentenced a former mayor of Tabuk and his wife to up to 34 years in prison.

In a decision released Tuesday, the anti-graft court’s seventh division said Camilo Lammawin Jr. and his wife Salud were found guilty of graft and direct bribery.

They were also ordered to pay a fine of P1.5 million.

The couple asked P400,000 from Rodman Construction and Development Corp. (RCDC) in exchange for the release of a check amounting to P2 million representing the municipal government’s payment for a project, the Office of the Ombudsman said in filing the charges in January 2014.

              Tabuk was not yet a city at that time.

              The ombudsman said the couple also asked P120,000 from RCDC in exchange for the release of another check amounting to P1.7 million.  

             “Had accused not demanded and received money, had spouses Lammawin not given their bank accounts where the P400,000 and P120,000 were deposited, they could have not been charged,” the Sandiganbayan said.  

“Their respective defense that the amounts were actually in payment for the money extended to RCDC to augment its operational expenses could not and will not even save them,” the ruling read.

”Prudence could have dictated them not to lend money because lending money to a contractor for a project in which a public official had actual participation, directly or indirectly, is against public policy and never to be countenanced no matter how noble the intention is,” the court said.        

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SEC: 17 firms in Baguio, Benguet with Ponzi scams

Public warned on illegal investment schemes 

BAGUIO CITY -- The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Cordillera has warned the public of Ponzi schemes in the Cordillera saying these are investment scams perpetrated by firms.

SEC regional director Regina Cajucom said even with investor information and dissemination campaigns on investment schemes, there are still a lot of victims of investment scams in Cordillera.

Cajucom said the Ponzi scheme is an investment fraud that involves payment of purported returns to investors from funds contributed by new investors.

Cajucom identified some entities allegedly engaged in illegal investment-taking activities in   in Baguio-Benguet and nearby towns  that include  FJ General Merchandise, FX8M International Club Inc./FX8M International Inc., ADS success/1ADS success, Camcast Corporation, NABA Training, Orro Platta Manna, Tessline, and Golden Bio Marketing.
                Other entities allegedly engaged in illegal investment-taking activities which is subject of advisories in the SEC website and whose registration were already revoked by SEC.

These are Paysbook/PB E-Commerce System LTD., PlanPromatrix Online Co. (PPM), Organico Agri Ventures, Yeheey iTRAFFIC System Inc., Requiza Farms/Requiza Poultry/Requiza Agricultural Products Trading.
 Cajucom also reported that from January to June of this year, the SEC issued advisories to 35 companies, cease and desist order to five   companies, and issued order of revocation to three companies. 

Ponzi scheme organizers often solicit new investors by promising to invest funds in opportunities which they claim to generate high returns with little or no risk.

The Ponzi scheme she said, “ordinarily collapses as fast as they are created while leaving its investors behind, unable to recoup their investments.”

She said investment schemes, whether with the use of money or crypto currencies, are considered securities subject to regulatory authority of SEC.

Under Section 8 of the Securities Regulation Code, no person shall engage in the business of buying or selling securities in the Philippines as a broker or dealer, or act as salesman, or an associated person of any broker or dealer unless registered with the SEC. she said.

She said this is a provision commonly violated by thousands or even millions who join such investment schemes. The misconception, she said, is that only the promoters, meaning those who own the entity or those who organized or run the entity are the only ones liable. The fact is when we apply the said provision, even your relatives or neighbors who enticed you to invest are actually liable under Section 28.

A person who can solicit investment is one who has passed the licensure examination for brokers or dealers in securities being administered by the SEC, she said.   

             She said before considering an investment opportunity, five questions should be asked: Is the seller licensed? Is the investment registered? How do the risks compare with the potential rewards? Do I understand the investment? Where can I turn for help?  

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Magalong to LTFRB: Revoke 400 taxi franchises in Baguio

By Dexter A. See

 BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong urged the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to immediately revoke the 400 taxi franchises that it previously opened for interested applicants in the city because of its expected serious repercussions to the current traffic woes of the city.          

The local chief executive questioned the wisdom of the LTFRB in unilaterally approving the opening of the taxi franchises in the city without coordinating with the local government on whether or not there is still a need to open more taxi franchises for applicants of taxi units in the city.

“LTFRB is not the one managing the traffic in our city that is why it should be inherent on the regulatory body to first coordinate with the local government to evaluate and assess whether or not there is still need for more taxi units to ply the city’s limited routes,” Magalong said.

Earlier, the LTFRB reportedly authorized the opening of some 200 taxi franchises that will be on fleet management and reportedly approved another 200 franchises in lieu of the 195 taxi units that have already ceased to exist.

He said he voiced out the opposition of the local government to the approved opening of the 200 taxi franchises on fleet management which was supposed to have been considered by LTFRB authorities but the same did not act on the matter as the regulatory body again approved another 200 franchises for the ones that ceased operations in the city.

The city mayor said he was saddened by alleged refusal of LTFRB authorities to listen to the plight of local officials who are the ones that are aware of the expected negative impact of the additional taxi units that will operate in the city considering the status of roads and the increasing number of motor vehicles that are on the roads daily.

            He said it is unfortunate that there are national agencies like the LTFRB that refuses to coordinate with the local government on the grant of franchises to applicants for issuance of franchises for public utility vehicles when it is the local officials who are aware of the prevailing situation in their areas of jurisdiction and who know on whether or not there is a need to approve more franchises for taxis, jeepneys, buses and garage vans in their places.

Based on the data obtained from the LTFRB, there are some 5,215 registered public utility jeepneys, 3,246 registered taxis, 459 public utility van express and 345 buses.

Magalong said the initial opposition that he raised should have been a clear message to the LTFRB to reconsider its initial decision to approve the 200 taxi franchises on fleet management but higher authorities seem not to have listened to the valid points that were raised against such action and instead approved another 200 taxi franchises in lieu of the ones that ceased operations thereby casting doubts on the LTFRB on the efforts of local officials to ease the worsening traffic congestions in thei8r areas of jurisdiction among other reasons.

He said he hoped the LTFRB will reconsider its decision on the approved taxi franchises because the eventual operation of the approved additional taxi units will definitely create a nightmare on the city’s traffic woes considering the enormous number of motor vehicles that will exist on the city’s roads.

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Dubious ‘general, pastor’ collecting money for lots

Irisan fake land deals bared 

By Jessa Mardy Samidan

BAGUIO CITY - Mayor Benjamin Magalong warned the public of a reported modus being conducted by unscrupulous individuals collecting money in exchange of fake land deals at Purok 28, Barangay Irisan.

In a press conference held Friday, Magalong said a certain individual introducing himself as Joel Mayol from the pool of generals of the Philippine National Police has been fooling individuals mostly from the lowlands as far as Quezon and Bicol provinces including uniformed personnel.

Magalong said barangay officials and the Irisan community have complained about the matter to him thus he ordered for an investigation and order the arrest of Mayol including his pastor associate.
               "Napakaraming hiningan ng pera at naloko itong pekeng heneral Joel Mayol na nagbebenta ng mga lupa sa Purok 28, Irisan," Magalong said.

According to the mayor, the lots being sold are titled properties but Mayol and his associates present themselves as formidable force by victimizing uniformed personnel to be their protector.
Magalong said Mayol and his pastor associate are currently developing a big building within the barangay but are nowhere to be found.

"I have met him during the campaign and he cannot even give details as to his claim being a general so I am warning the public not to transact any business with this person and his associates," Magalong said.

Magalong added that Mayol and his associates are reportedly transcating properties in Loakan and even in Philex, Tuba.

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American jumps from Laoag bridge after wife divorce

By Liezle Basa-Inigo

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte -- An American citizen who was recently divorced died when he jumped off the bridge here along Bypass Road Wednesday.

Ilocos Norte Police said Christopher Sagisi Cabuga, 37, a resident of San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, and from Chicago, Illinois, USA, was riding an Isuzu Sportivo driven by his brother, Reymart, 28.

                As the vehicle was passing the bridge, Sagisi suddenly opened the door and jumped off the bridge, police said.

He was taken to hospital but was declared dead noon Wednesday.

According to his mother, Luisa Sagisi Cabuga, 75, the victim had just divorced and was being treated for depression.

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SSS issues cause orders to 12 Tuguegarao firms

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan--- The Social Security System (SSS) issued show cause orders to 12 employers as part of the 5^th simultaneous Run After Contribution Evaders (RACE) Campaign here on July 30.

            SSS chief legal counsel and senior vice president for legal and enforcement group Voltaire P. Agas said the pre-identified business owners failed to register their businesses to SSS, report the correct number of employees, and remit their SSS premiums regularly, affecting some 93 employees.

             “SSS Tuguegarao reported that eight out of the 12 employers committed double violations which include non-remittance of SSS contributions and under-reporting of employees. That’s why the RACE Team had to act immediately in order to stop these wrong practices by personally reminding these employers of their obligations under the Social Security Act of 2018,” Agas said.

              Orlindo G. Carbonel, Jesus Taquiqui, Jennifer Tambiao, Helen Encarnacion, Zhenkai Sumanpong Cue, Reynaldo Encarnacion, Donald Matammu Garrafa, and RD Interior Jr. Construction and Development Corporation received show cause orders due to non-remittance of SSS contributions and under-reporting of employees with total delinquency amounting to P1.33 million.

Steven Yu Chua also received the same notice due to under-reporting of employees and New Tuguegarao Friendly Emporium, for non-remittance of SSS contributions with total delinquency of P94,012.34.

               Annbida Motor Parts, Paces Trading, and HCC Store were also warned by the RACE Team because they failed to register their businesses with the SSS.

“They have 15 days to comply by registering their businesses with SSS, reporting the correct number of their employees through production of employment records, and paying their outstanding obligation comprised of contribution delinquencies and accrued penalty,” Agas said.

“But with the ongoing Contribution Penalty Condonation Program (CPCP), delinquent employers will only pay the principal delinquency and will exclude the accrued penalties for their convenience,” added Agas.

All delinquent employers including household employers and those who were subjected to RACE Operations may avail of the CPCP until September 6, 2019.

RACE Tuguegarao is part of the 5th simultaneous operations held July 30. Other areas in Luzon that were visited by the RACE Team were San Pablo, Laguna; and Legazpi, Albay. Five days ago, the SSS conducted its 4^th simultaneous RACE Campaign in San Fernando, La Union; Novaliches, Quezon City; Tacloban, Leyte; and Digos, Davao del Sur.

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Cordi RDC sets reorganization in push for regional autonomy

 Rep Go airs support 

BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera Regional Development and Peace and Order councils in a recent meeting honored their outgoing members as they prepared for reorganization of the two top regional bodies to push regional autonomy.

In recognition of their contributions to Cordillera development, outgoing RDC chairman, former Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan, and sectoral committee chairs and co-chairs were presented with tokens of appreciation during the joint meeting. 

Major accomplishments of the 2016-2019 Council included setting the region’s development direction through the Regional Development Plan 2017-2022, advancement of the region’s coffee industry through the Coffee Development Plan, identification of poverty-stricken areas in the region through the Social Convergence Program, fast-tracking of the Minahang Bayan process and improvement of trade and connectivity by supporting the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program (TRIP) and Roads Leveraging Linkages for Industry and Trade (ROLL IT) convergence projects.

A press release from the regional National Economic Development Authority bared this saying the RDC-CAR also pursued Cordillera autonomy in accordance with Section 15 Article X of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

Through the Social Preparation of CAR into an Autonomous Region (SPCAR) program, the RDC continues to raise awareness, gain support, and capacitate Cordillerans for Cordillera autonomy, the press release said.  

Under the leadership of Domogan, the RDC reportedly engaged the Office of the President and both Houses of the 16th and 17th Congress for support to Cordillera’s pursuit of regional autonomy.

With the support of local government units, regional line agencies and its private sector representatives, the RDC reportedly engaged Cordillerans down to the grassroots sector to support regional autonomy.

The RDC is the highest policy-making body in the region. It coordinates and sets the direction for social and economic development in the region.

It also leads in the renewed pursuit of Cordillera autonomy which aims to enhance Cordilleran identity, formulate responsive policies, and attain progress for all Cordillerans.

As secretariat of the RDC and home of the SPCAR Program, NEDA-CAR reportedly aims to continue coordinating with government, public and private groups to push regional autonomy.

The RDC is set to meet new members from the newly-elected local chief executives and private sector representatives on August 8. 

The RDC’s reorganization coincides with the 3-year terms of the local chief executives and the RDC private sector representatives.   

This, as Imelda Sedano, chief of staff of Baguio City Rep. Mark Go, said the latter bared his commitment to pursue Cordillera regional autonomy during the 32nd anniversary of the Cordillera Administrative Region celebration at the Baguio City Hall on July 13.

Cordillera regional autonomy has been a long struggle of the region. Overtaken by the 2019 elections and the federalism movement, the most recent draft autonomy bill, HB 5343 commissioned by the RDC and filed during the 17th congress, failed to pass the second reading.

As the 18th Congress commenced, Sedano cited Go’s support to push autonomy advocacy. 

Sedano cited their participation in the Indigenous Peoples’ Legislative Assembly in Baguio last December 2018 where Cordillera Indigenous Peoples’ (IP) leaders and representatives crafted their own recommendations for the autonomy bill then-pending in the 17th Congress.

She cited Go’s observation on the pursuit of regional autonomy, recognizing that the lack of information and unity which caused the failed ratification of the two plebiscites in 1990 and 1998 is no longer true today. – With a report from Zhaira Kate L. Chinayo, NEDA- SPCAR

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Dengue afflicts 3, 257 in Cordillera with 6 deaths

BAGUIO CITY -- The Dept. of Health warned the public to take measures against dengue with increase of cases nationwide even as the DOH has implemented measures to address this. 

Health Secretary Francisco Duque has declared a national Dengue alert last July 15 to raise public awareness on this health threat with several regions showing rapidly increasing number of cases like in Northern Luzon.

National data recorded 106,630 dengue cases from Jan. 1 to June 29, which showed an 85 percent increase compared to the 57,564 recorded during the same period in 2018.

For Cordillera, DOH recorded 3,257 dengue cases suspects in the region from Jan. 1 to July 13, a 31 percent increase compared to the 2,494 cases recorded during the same period last year, said DOH Cordillera entomologist Alexander Baday during the Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council  meeting on July 22.

The report included six dengue - related deaths recorded in the region (three in Benguet, one in Baguio City, one in Mountain Province and one from non – CAR province,  two more than the four deaths recorded during the same period in 2018.

 Apayao recorded the most cases with 616, followed by Benguet with 565, Abra with 517, Ifugao with 354, Kalinga with 289, Mountain Province with 207, then Baguio City with 210.  There were also 499 non – CAR cases included in the report gathered from Cordillera hospitals. 

 DOH-CAR Regional Director Dr. Amelita Pangilinan said the increase in dengue cases in the region is not yet on alarming level.

But she said they want to prevent having such alert level, and are into intensified surveillance and health promotion, and effective clinical case management that include ensuring presence of dengue fast lanes to both public and private health facilities.

The health department is distributing drum net covers, insecticides, dengue rapid test kits, long lasting insecticide treated nets, and intensified information activities.

Pangilinan cited the health department’s 4S campaign against dengue namely: Search and destroy (mosquito breeding sites); self-protection; Seek early consultation and Support spraying/fogging in the community if there is are cases or impending outbreak. (JDP/CC-/PIA CAR)

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