PEOPLE line up for a ride home in Baguio City. (Baguio City PIO FB)
BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Benjamin Magalong has signed Resolution No. 257-2026 of the City Council declaring this city under a state of calamity due to the oil crisis that has severely affected various sectors here.
Magalong stated that the tourism industry has suffered a 40 percent to 50 percent drop in tourist arrivals. The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio (HRAB) also revealed a nearly 30 percent drop in hotel bookings.
The mayor said the transportation sector was also affected and stopped operating because of the increase, with diesel at some gasoline stations reaching ₱165.70 per liter. As a result, people have difficulty returning home at night.
Magalong said with the declaration, the city government can now use the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF) to fund programs and projects to ease the crisis.
Magalong and 49 authorized representatives of transport cooperatives have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the implementation of the Emergency Transport Support Program (ETSP) to provide sufficient Public Utility Jeepneys (PUJs) for people and reduce long queues in jeepney terminals in the central business district area at night.
Under the program, the city will pay for empty return trips or "backloads" that drivers usually carry under the boundary system to ensure that jeepneys return to the central business district to pick up passengers from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. or beyond if necessary.
Magalong said 295 jeepneys covering 32 routes here have been contracted.
ETSP is a service-based support mechanism where the city will supply transportation services equivalent to a standardized backload passenger assumption for verified return trips.
It is the city's response to the current transportation emergency that is considered an immediate intervention to ensure continued transportation services and ensure the overall well-being of people.