THIS early, the Baguio Elderly Assembly (BEA), the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) is busy preparing to welcome the 2018 Baguio City Charter Day Babies in partnership with the city government special events committee.
The celebrity baby boy and baby girl will be chosen starting midnight of August 31 at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center in keeping with the project’s tradition which started during the city’s Centennial Charter Day Celebration in 2009.
The BEA which is the executive program committee of the city’s elderly associations composed of the Federation of Baguio Senior Citizens Associations (FBASECA), Blessed Association of Retired Persons Foundation, Inc. (BARP), Philippine Government Retirees Association, Baguio Chapter (PGRA); Veterans Federation of the Philippines, Baguio District (VFP) and the United States Armed Forces of the Philippines, Northern Luzon Association (USAFIP NL) particularly, the famous World War II Veterans from the 66th Infantry Battalion, AFP.
BEA was formally organized and recognized by the city government’s Executive and Legislative bodies in Year 2002. The BEA’s existence was inspired and created in consonance with the provisions of a Presidential Proclamation declaring the first week of October every year as “Lingo ng mga Matatandang Filipino”, honoring the country’s Senior Citizens. Yours truly, is the president of the Assembly with Betty Fangasan, CSWDO Department Head and the OSCA as advisers.
Like in previous years, the lucky babies and their families will receive from the program host, a mabuhay cash gift, one sack of rice each, assorted baby clothings and blankets, assorted can goods and fruits and biscuits.
The Baguio Charter Day Lucky Babies Committee will visit and present the gift package to the recipients on Sept. 2, at 9 a.m. at the hospital before they go home to their respective residences. Certainly, the activity is a humanitarian endeavor, especially to remind parents of their manifold responsibilities to provide their children with a respectable degree of livelihood development program.
From today, Saturday, there are 28 meaningful and purposeful days before the city’s Charter Day rites. One big item in the agenda, before the bonanza celebration is the cleaning and beautification of our parks, specially those which were vandalized, left along by itself without the proper care from the responsible city government offices.
Special mention and on the focus are Cepmo - the City Council Committee of Parks and Environment and of course the City Tourism Council. It is very evident that most if not all the historical monuments honoring the pioneer American local government officials are not properly maintained. This includes the historical markers along Abanao Street and at the site of the First Philippine Commission Session along Governor Pack Road.
When yours truly, served as the City Mayor of Baguio in consonance with the Senior Citizens Officials for a Day (SCOFAD) on October 5, 2015, that was over two years ago, I personally included in my day’s itinerary a visit-inspection of the places I mentioned together with a group of concerned city officials. Unfortunately, up to this writing, nothing has been done, that much about it. Of course, it is a very disappointing experience. Even the city’s central park designating the city’s Km. 0 distance marker has become a center of garbage deposit for pick up.
You do not have to use a pair of eye glasses to see what I am talking about, sirs and madams. I have my fingers crossed that this time around, our concernend city officials will wake up and do their share in solving our cleanliness and beautification programs specially in the areas that I mentioned with regrets.
My humble services is available for any of the concerned authorities if there is a need. I will be more than happy to join them. After all, yours truly as the president of the National Correspondents Club of Baguio (NCCB) initiated and coordinated the construction of the Architect Daniel H. Burnham Monument at the city’s main Park and the Col. Lyman W. Kennon at Kennon Road beside the Zig Zag Viewpoint.
I also initiated the placement of the sculptured bust figure on Justice George Malcolm Monument at Malcolm Square when I was a City Councilor in 1992-95 with the help of former Congressman Bernardo Vergara. The original monument without the sculptured bust figure of Judge Malcolm was constructed, courtesy of the late City Mayor Francisco Paraan and appointed members of the city Council during the term of President Cory Aquino.
In other words, the original idea of the construction of the monument of Judge Malcolm at the Square was that of Manong Ping Paraan and his former City Councilors.