On September 13, 2026, families, friends, and batchmates gathered for the traditional "salubong" to welcome and celebrate with the bar takers who had successfully completed the 2026 Bar Examinations.**Photo by neimless_skills
Approved on second reading
The Baguio City Council has approved on second reading and for publication a proposed ordinance institutionalizing logistical support and establishing a skeleton workforce protocol to ensure the continuity of essential public services and protect personnel required to work during calamities, work suspensions, and other emergencies.
Authored by Councilor Van Oliver Dicang, the proposed ordinance will cover all departments, divisions, offices, and units of the City Government whose operations are considered critical during calamities, disasters, work suspensions, or other emergencies. These will include the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, City Social Welfare and Development Office, Health Services Office, City Engineering Office, City Buildings and Architecture Office, City Environment and Parks Management Office, General Services Office, Public Order and Safety Division, sanitation and waste management units, and emergency transport units.
The measure defines logistical support as the provision of transportation, meals, temporary shelter, protective equipment, and other operational resources necessary for personnel to perform their duties during emergencies. A skeleton workforce refers to the minimum number of personnel required to deliver essential services, while critical emergency and disaster response services include public safety, rescue, medical response, engineering support, relief distribution, sanitation, and disaster coordination.
Logistical support will be automatically activated upon the declaration of a work suspension, state of calamity, or other emergency by the City Mayor. It will include the deployment of official vehicles or contracted transport services; provision of meals, snacks, or meal allowances; designation of safe and accessible temporary shelters or overnight lodging; distribution of appropriate protective equipment and health supplies; allocation of funds for fuel, repairs, and vehicle maintenance; and use of communication facilities, radios, or digital platforms for inter-office coordination.
Each concerned City Government office will be required to prepare and periodically update a skeleton workforce roster, subject to approval by the City Human Resource Management Office (CHRMO). During declared emergencies or work suspensions, only personnel included in the roster will be required to report physically, while non-essential personnel may be assigned remote, standby, or support roles.
Department Heads will be responsible for ensuring the equitable rotation of personnel assigned to the skeleton workforce to prevent overfatigue and burnout. Personnel directed to render service during declared work suspensions will be entitled to hazard pay, compensatory time-off, or other benefits consistent with applicable Civil Service Commission and Department of Budget and Management rules.
The proposed ordinance will also require the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and the CHRMO to integrate the protocol into the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan and the City Human Resource Development and Welfare Plan, respectively.
The proposed ordinance will undergo stakeholder consultations and city council deliberations as the next legislative steps. **Jordan G. Habbiling