Baguio Oct 31, 2026: BCPO Scam Warning & Bakasyon Lanes

Beware of Fake Social Media Transient Scams: BCPO City Director PCol. Nixon Laoyan warned visitors to stay alert against online accommodation scams, where bogus Facebook pages copy photos of real Baguio houses, demand 100% upfront payment, and vanish once travelers arrive at the bus terminal. Laoyan also urged motorists and pedestrians to guard against bukas-kotse (vehicle break-ins) and pickpocketing in crowded spots, keep a close eye on children, and strictly obey Baguio's Anti-Road Obstruction rules, speed limits, and the iconic "King of the Road" ordinance (giving pedestrians absolute right of way at crosswalks).

BCPO Activates Highway "Bakasyon Lanes" & Motorist Assistance Hubs: BCPO Traffic Enforcement Unit Chief Lt. Col. Joven Manalansan announced the activation of dedicated "Bakasyon Lanes" along three key mountain approaches into Baguio: the Baguio–Bokod–Kayapa (Nueva Vizcaya) route, the Sablan (Naguilian) approach, and the Kennon Road approach through Rosario, La Union and Tuba, Benguet (Baguio Herald Express). Police and Tourist Assistance Desks are stationed across major attractions, while drivers can check real-time road flow and parking slot availability via the BCPOViewBaguio app.

How to Verify a Legitimate Baguio Host in 60 Seconds: At Valencia VOS Baguio Transient House, we have welcomed guests to our exact, verifiable address at 92-P Valenzuela Street, Barangay Salud Mitra (right behind Mercy Store) for 16 years. You can verify our pinned Google Maps location—just a 3-minute walk to SM City Baguio, a 3-minute walk to Upper Session Road, and a 10-minute downhill walk to Burnham Park—and book safely with only a 30% deposit via GCash or BPI, paying the balance upon arrival when we hand you your keys!

Baguio Fire Station on "Code Red" Full Alert Status (Baguio Herald Express): Senior Fire Officer 1 Lloyd Ashley Furigay, Chief Public Information Officer of the Baguio City Fire Station, confirmed that the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Baguio is on Code Red (Full Alert Status) from October 30 to November 3, 2026, requiring 100% personnel attendance and deploying fire trucks, rescue squads, and emergency medical ambulances to Naguilian and Loakan cemeteries, transport terminals, and high-foot-traffic hubs. BFP has also pre-coordinated with the Baguio Water District (BWD) and barangays with dedicated water reserves to guarantee uninterrupted emergency water supply.

La Trinidad Suspends Number Coding Until Nov 2 & Enforces Liquor Ban (Baguio Herald Express): Driving across the city border to visit La Trinidad's strawberry fields or memorial parks? The municipal government suspended La Trinidad's municipal number coding scheme from October 30 through Monday, November 2, 2026, deployed 254 police personnel with drop-and-go zones at Buyagan Cemetery, Pyramid Memorial Park, and Veterans' Memorial Park, and enacted a municipality-wide liquor ban from 12:00 midnight on October 30 until 12:01 AM on November 3.

New Onjon ni Ivadoy Officers Elected at BIMAAK Hall: Members of the Onjon ni Ivadoy Association, Inc.—founded in 2010 by Ibaloy elders and the late Baguio Midland Courier editor Cecile C. Afable to safeguard ancestral lands and cultural heritage—convened a general assembly at BIMAAK Hall and elected a new slate of officers led by President Beauregard "Adon" G. Carantes, Vice President Atty. Marybelle Demot Marinias, Treasurer Tonette M. Hamada, and Secretary Linda Cariño.

The Global Legacy of Mateo Cariño & Native Title: When you walk down Burnham Park and Kisad Road (just 10 minutes downhill from our front door), you are walking across the historic pasturelands of Ibaloy baknang (chieftain) Mateo Cariño. His legal battle against the colonial government resulted in the landmark 1909 US Supreme Court decision penned by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.—globally revered as the Cariño Doctrine—which ruled that lands occupied by Indigenous communities since time immemorial are legally presumed never to have been part of the public domain. That victory is celebrated every February 23 as Ibaloy Day, officially recognized in 2026 as a special non-working public holiday in Baguio City.

Cordillera Homecoming Caravan Rekindles Balikbayans' Pride (Baguio Herald Express): The Department of Tourism–Cordillera (DOT-CAR), led by Regional Director Jovita A. Ganongan, welcomed overseas Cordillerans from Australia (Philippine Cordillerans NSW), Austria, the Netherlands (MABIKAS Foundation), Europe (Igorot Global Organization), and the United States for the Discover More to Love (DMTL) Homecoming Caravan. Journeying from Baguio City to Kiangan (Ifugao), Lubuagan (Kalinga), Bontoc, and Mount Data Hotel in Bauko (Mountain Province), balikbayans reconnected with ancestral weaving, community feasts, and the beat of the gangsa.

New Book on the Cordilleran Ethic of "Inayan" Launches November 7 in Baguio (The Baguio Chronicle): Former DSWD-Cordillera Regional Director and college professor Maria Aplaten will launch her new book on the Indigenous practice of Inayan on Saturday, November 7, 2026 at the newly renovated Tuscany Hotel (formerly Eurotel) here in Baguio City. Rooted in ancestral Igorot wisdom, Inayan is a moral compass of self-restraint, honesty, environmental stewardship, and accountability that stops a person from wronging others—the very reason Baguio cabbies return lost phones and wallets every single week.

"Baya-o": Unscripted Chanted Biographies for the Departed: In the Kankanaey town of Tadian, Mountain Province, Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) Robinson Pel-ingen explained the ancient art of Baya-o—an unscripted, poetic chant performed by elders (especially in Bas-ang and Zone 1) during wakes to narrate the deceased elder's life story, kindness, humor, and virtues while the gathered community joins in the chorus. Never taught in textbooks, Baya-o is oral living history passed down solely by listening around the vigil fire.

"Walang Punerarya sa Amin Pero Buhay ang Diwa ng Binnadang" (PIA-CAR): Did you know that across all of Mountain Province, there is not a single commercial funeral parlor outside the lowland border town of Paracelis? As Provincial IPMR Tomas Tawagen explained, communities rely on binnadang (or ug-ugbo)—spontaneous communal solidarity. The moment a neighbor passes away, village carpenters build the wooden coffin at zero cost, local health workers prepare the body at home, and barrio residents automatically form volunteer cooking and vigil committees without ever needing to be asked.

Former Scholar Alex Valdez Wins Baguio Senior Citizens' Chess Crown (Baguio Herald Express): Scoring a near-perfect 6.5 out of 7 points at the Baguio City Public Library's "Wise Moves: Senior Citizens' Scrabble & Chess Tournament", veteran player Alex Valdez captured the gold medal ahead of Gilbert Egme (5.5 points, 2nd place) and Efren Garcia (5.0 points, 3rd place). Having learned chess at age 10 to earn a college scholarship, Valdez shared a classic piece of advice for student athletes: "Dapat ang aim na nila doon hindi 'yung mag-champion sa chess kundi mag-top na ng board exam."

BJMP-CAR & DICT Train Persons Deprived of Liberty as Online Virtual Assistants (Baguio Herald Express): In a story published today (October 31, 2026), BJMP-CAR Regional Director JCSupt. Delvic L. Oreiro announced a pioneering partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) during National Correctional Consciousness Week (NACOCOW) 2026 to train Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) in digital skills for remote Virtual Assistant (VA) jobs upon reintegration.

DTI Reminds Holiday Shoppers to Check PS & ICC Safety Marks (Baguio Herald Express): Following its 70-booth Certified Products Expo with the FDA, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) urged consumers buying Christmas lights, electrical appliances, and travel gear this season to always verify Philippine Quality and Safety (PS) marks and Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) stickers.