11/07/2024
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The Baguio City Council has recently expanded the benefits for senior citizens in the city by exempting them from the Number Coding Scheme.
The ordinance exempting senior citizens from the Number Coding Scheme was approved on the third and final reading by the Baguio City Council on July 8, 2024. It has been transmitted to Mayor Benjamin Magalong for signing before its implementation.
The recently enacted measure is an amendment to the cityβs Number Coding Ordinance which restricts vehicles from operating within designated zones, particularly in the Central Business District (CBD), from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM based on the last digit of their license plates with specific days assigned to different numbers.
With this amendment, vehicles transporting senior citizens, whether as drivers or passengers, can now freely traverse the city roads within the CBD any day without being apprehended by traffic enforcers.
The amendment, however, indicates that the exemption from the number coding applies only to senior citizens who are Baguio residents and are traveling to and from medical clinics, hospitals, or places of work.
Councilor Jose Molintas, author of the amendatory ordinance, reiterated during the July 3 public consultation that this privilege is only for the elderly who need to navigate around the CBD for medical appointments and work purposes.
Molintas stressed that senior citizens who need medical attention and who work despite their age may struggle to commute due to the number coding restriction. He said the exemption would provide convenience and ease for senior citizens which adds to the benefits provided under the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.
The Public Order and Safety Division (POSD), which serves as an auxiliary force in implementing traffic rules in the city, raised challenges in the implementation when the proposal was made known to the public.
According to POSD Head Daryll Longid, traffic enforcers may find it challenging to verify whether the senior citizen in the vehicle is truly a resident of Baguio City. Additionally, it may be difficult to confirm whether the driver or passenger is a senior citizen and to ensure that their travel is for medical or work purposes.
All these instances would result in more frequent flagging down of vehicles on the road, leading to increased traffic congestion, Longid claimed.
While acknowledging these concerns, Molintas emphasized the importance of maintaining a presumption of honesty. He said the goal is to provide assistance and care to senior citizens without questioning whether these rights are being abused.
βIt is important to assume that seniors' travel purposes are honest. By prioritizing the presumption of honesty as our guiding principle, we can create a more cohesive and trustworthy community,β Molintas stated.
Earlier, Councilor Benny Bomogao expressed reservations on the proposed exemption, saying it might defeat the purpose of reducing traffic in the CBD. He sought clarification on whether a study had been conducted to determine the number of senior citizens in the city using private cars.
The impact of this exemption on the city's current traffic situation remains uncertain as there is currently no data available on the number of senior citizens who own vehicles or the frequency with which senior citizens travel in private cars.
Councilor Arthur Allad-iw also proposed exempting persons with disabilities from the Number Coding Scheme. However, his proposal was not included in the recent amendment and might require a separate legislation to be realized.
Under the Number Coding Ordinance, the following are exempted from the Number Coding Scheme:
vehicles with red plates; chartered mini-buses from outside the City of Baguio used for lakbay-aral or excursion purposes; vehicles of the Philippine Postal Corporation used for mail delivery; armored cars used by banks for bulk money transfer; motor vehicles used in cases of emergency posing danger to life and limb; water delivery trucks when assisting in fire control;
service vehicles of public utility companies performing emergency repairs within the number coding zone; school services registered by the Land Transportation and Regulatory Board ferrying preschool, elementary, and high school students from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in schools located within the number coding zone;
and private motor vehicles and chartered public utility vehicles of visitors, tourists, vacationers, or participants of sanctioned activities such as conventions, conferences, and assemblies.
With the recent amendment, vehicles transporting senior citizens for medical and work purposes have been added to the list of exempted vehicles. -Jordan G. Habbiling
