President Duterte Signs Magna Carta of the Poor on April 12, 2019

President Rodrigo Duterte signed on April 12, 2019 the Republic Act 11291 or otherwise known as the Magna Carta Of The Poor which makes government services more accessible to poor Filipinos so that their basic needs are met.According to National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), poor refers to individuals and families whose income falls below the poverty threshold and/or those who cannot afford their minimum basic needs.

Under the law, the government agencies and concerned departments to implement it must establish a system to meet the following standards:

1. Adequate food

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Agriculture must take actions to mitigate and alleviate hunger, especially in times of calamities and natural disasters. It must also ensure the availability of food supplies, while engaging the poor in activities to promote food self-sufficiency.

2. Decent work

The Department of Labor and Employment along with other implementing agencies shall ensure the poor will have access to information on employment opportunities, as well as promoting livelihood for the poor. Government must also ensure private contractors in national and local public work projects to fill in 30% of their labor requirements with qualified workers from the poor.

3. Relevant and quality education

The agencies concerned are the Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. They, along with other development partners, shall expand programs of providing free or socialized college education to the poor and shall make technical-vocational education and training more accessible.

4. Adequate housing

The Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and other implementing agencies shall prioritize implementation of the socialized housing program, construct housing for families in hazardous and danger zones, and simplifying the requirements for processing and approval of community-based socialized housing.

5. Highest attainable standard of health

The Department of Health and other concerned agencies shall provide comprehensive, universal, culture-sensitive and nondiscriminatory health services — including those for maternal and child health care, prevention of reproductive tract infections and sexually transmitted infections, immunization against major infectious diseases, and the prevention of epidemics. They shall also find ways to provide health-related education and reduce the financial burden of health care.

The DSWD, along with NEDA and the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), will identify the target beneficiaries.

The funding will be sourced from the existing poverty alleviation programs of the different departments and agencies.

The NAPC shall oversee the compliance of these agencies/departments to this act.

First-time Jobseekers Now Have Free Document Fees

President Rodrigo Duterte signed on April 10, 2019 the Republic Act 11261 or the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act.

This act waived the fees and/or charges of documents being processed, acquired or secured by a first-time jobseeker from government agencies and instrumentalities provided that the application and the granting of documents are requirements in the course of local employment or applying for abroad.

Covered by the law are the following government issued documents:

• Police clearance certificate
• National Bureau of Investigation clearance
• Barangay clearance
• Medical certificate from a public hospital
• Birth certificate
• Marriage certificate
• Transcript of academic records issued by state colleges and universities
• Tax Identification Number
• Unified Multi-Purpose ID
• Other documentary requirements issued by the government that may be required by employers from job applicants

To avail of the benefits, a first-time jobseeker must present a barangay certificate stating that the individual is indeed a first-time applicant.

The waiver of fees shall not include those collected in connection with an application to take a professional licensure examination, application for a passport authentication and red ribbon documents from the Department of Foreign Affairs, application for a Career Service Examination and application for a driver’s license.

How to get to Quirino Hill, Baguio City

Quirino Hill is located on the north west part of Baguio. Its slope at the north is a part of Pico, La Trinidad, which roll down to the road of Km. 3, so Quirino Hill is one among the places that marks the land limit of the City.

From the Central Business District (CBD), in order to get to Quirino Hill, you can take either of the three main roads - the Bokawkan Road, Magsaysay Avenue or the Trancoville Road. A regular public Jeepney transit bound for Quirino Hill can be accessed at Lakandula Street (near Baguio Center Mall). The Jeepney would pass through the Magsaysay Avenue until it reaches the lower portion, then it would push into the Camdas Street, and at the end of the street it will begin to assume the Quirino Hill area. Then the vehicle would slowly traverse the winding and bending residential alleys until it gets to the topmost part of the hill. During the climb, you can actually stop the vehicle and descend from it when it gets closest to the place where you are going to. At the top of the Middle Quirino Hill Barangay you will find the View Deck near the St. Paul's Parish and the Quirino Hill Elementary School. The View Deck can offer you a good sight at the half of Baguio including the Central Business District, probably ( you can go there if you want to prove :D )...oops! You must not forget your telescope and camera.

You can also go to the other side of the hill, the north side, to see La Trinidad, the Balili River, the La Trinidad plateau, and its surrounding valleys.

To exit Quirino Hill, you may walk down through the column of stairways going down to the base, or you may take a ride on a public utility vehicle going down the hill.

People (dwellers) of Quirino Hill, Baguio City, Philippines

Just after Camdas family granted the place and the Government of Baguio imposed tax declaration on it for the people’s occupancy, people from many different places came up to the place in different times and applied for themselves their lots. That was also the time when it was subdivided into political barangays. At first, most of the lots that were taken were improved to camotal lots until sometime when the major roads were constructed that the people started to build their houses for their permanent residency.

Before, Baguio was already considered as a city of different opportunities (education for one) for everyone and this without doubt the primary reason why people moved to this city, which proved to be an important quasi-historical event that contributed to the continuous development of the city itself. The majority of the people that have moved to this cool city came from the neighboring provinces or territories and established their residency as adopted people of Baguio. Thus for Quirino Hill, the first settlers were composed of people from different cultures and traditions that were easily and readily intertwined because of cultural flexibility and westernization, except the traditional practices that were being kept the obligations by those who practiced them with open acceptance from the others, which is a situation that also keep the social facet adorning the whole community with dynamic parameters shared by the residents and non-residents alike.

As of this time, the residents of Quirino Hill are being composed of two waves. The first wave was the period of settlements of the pioneer settlers and the second wave was when the children of the said group were born to this place, which signified the rooting of the community. The second wave also includes the sudden growth of population of the community due to birth, migration and landlordship. According to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NCSB), the total population of the four barangays of Quirino Hill is 8,901 as of 2004. The majority of the population is 50% that is comprised by the pupils and students. 30% is composed of parents, non-working and working individuals (including OFW’s and contractual workers), and 20% is composed of children (preps and non-preps), OSY’s and Senior Citizens. I have gotten these figures through careful observation, analysis and estimation of the community’s demography.

Tips on how to segregate garbage before bringing them out for collection

The garbage pick-up schedule for Quirino Hill is on Mondays, starting from 3:00 AM until afternoon. At tapaw area of the hill (hill top), collecting of garbage would start from 3:00 AM to 5:00 AM, and the schedule for the lower areas of the hill would be from 6:00 AM to 12:00 PM or early afternoon. Residents of these locations should bring their garbage to the designated garbage collection areas just before the garbage truck arrives. Your garbage that were brought out after the truck finished hauling and left the area should be brought back inside your houses, and bring them out again on the next schedule.

Wastes should be segregated according to their classifications. The wastes separation should be done by putting each kind of wastes into a separate bags or containers. The different kinds of garbage are: recyclables, residuals, non-biodegradable and biodegradable.

RECYCLABLES – Wastes that are being capable to be used again in the same or different purpose. Let these materials be recovered and be used again.

1.      Glass containers

2.      Newspaper

3.      Corrugated cardboard

4.      Mixed paper

5.      Paperboard

6.      Steel cans

7.      Aluminum

8.      Copper wire

9.      Polyethylene (PET, HDPE, LDPE)

10.  Vinyl (PVC)

11.  PP (Polypropylene)

12.  PS (Polystyrene)

13.  Other plastics

14.  Steel packaging

15.  Liquidpaperboard

16.  ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)

17.  Batteries

RESIDUALS – Wastes that has been left after the other parts were used or consumed.

1.      Napkins/Nappies/Used cotton

2.      Chemicals

3.      Food paper wrapper

4.      Other food wrappers

NON-BIODEGRADABLE – Wastes that do not deteriorate or do not undergo decomposition.

1.      Fiber glass

2.      Hazardous – paint, fluorescent lights, batteries

3.      Metallic other

4.      Asphalt/road construction

5.      Asbestos

6.      Soil/Inert/Rubble

7.      Unusable food plastic wrappers

8.      Textiles/Clothing/Footwear/Carpet

9.      Polyurethane

BIODEGRADABLE – Wastes that are capable of decomposing. The waste will break down into small pieces that can be absorbed by microorganisms and transformed into CO2, H2O, energy and neutral residues.

1.      Disposable/Contaminated/Wet paper

2.      Food/Kitchen wastes

3.      Garden/Vegetation

4.      Wood/Timber

5.      Compostables

Rules to follow for field, travel or delivery operations by technical staff/personnel

1.       Do not use cell phone while driving. A cell phone call can only be used when the vehicle is parked in a designated safety area.

2.       During emergency, delivery or transport operation, do not drive over the regulated speed limit to ensure safety of personnel, equipment and materials.

3.       Do not work if under the influence of alcohol or drugs, intoxication of alcohol/drugs may cause impaired judgment and concentration/focus, this  condition usually lead to accident in workplaces

4.       Do not drive if tired or sleepy. When driving but feeling sleepy or weary, stop at a suitable rest location and take a rest. Recommended time to rest and drive is 20 to 30 minutes every after 4 hours of driving.

5.       Do not drop tools or other objects from height. Tools, materials and other debris should not accumulate in the work platforms. Also, materials and equipment which are not in use should be kept secured or placed at safety locations.

6.       Unlicensed personnel should not undertake electrical work.

7.       Do not stay or walk under construction areas for accident prevention measure.

8.       Always use PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), safety harness and fall protection equipment when working at height.

9.       When travelling, driving or operating vehicles, always buckle up. All vehicle occupants must use seat belt while traveling by vehicle.

10.   Staff or personnel working at height and ground must be properly trained and qualified and must be supervised by competent people.

How to treat dogs and live fairly with them

1. Do not go near a mother dog with puppies.

2. Do not run or walk briskly near a sleeping dog.

3. Do not disturb a dog that is eating.

4. Do not disturb a sleeping dog.

5. Do not hurt dog by throwing stick at him.

6. Do not go near a dog when it is tied or caged.

7. Do not stare at the eyes of a stranger dog.

8. If a dog chases after you, stand still and don’t move. If you fall down, curl up and cover your face.

9. To make friends with a dog, know its name from the owner, then call the dog by its name and see if it wags its tail.

10. If the dog wags its tail, fold your fingers and into a ball and let the dog sniff your hands.

11. Once you become friends with dog, stroke him under his neck and not on the top of his head.

12. If a dog bites you, wash the wound with soup into a running water for 10 minutes, then go to the hospital or clinic for treatment.