The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on first reading a proposed ordinance providing for the establishment of barangay reading centers and appropriating funds for the said purpose.
Under the proposed ordinance authored by Councilors Leandro B. Yangot, Jr. and Rocky M. Aliping, the city government recognizes the vital role of knowledge and information in the development and wellbeing of the public, thus, it will be the city’s policy to promote reading, enhance literacy, and provide easy access to reading materials, information communication technology and other educational services and programs at the barangay level.
Further, the ordinance will cover all the city’s 128 barangays to ensure the access to reading materials by the residents.
The established barangay reading centers shall be jointly operated by the concerned barangays and the Baguio City Public Library which shall have the functions of making available to the community a wide array of reading materials prescribed by the education department, reference books, periodicals, electronic books and audio-video materials; serve as a venue for audio-video presentations in the community and other kinds of exhibitions and activities aimed at increasing the literacy rate by government agencies, non-government organizations or private entities in the dissemination of information of general interest; provide educational information communication technology services such as short trainings, library management systems, online public access catalogue and basic computer trainings for library patrons and library staff, access to electronic books and journals and scanning and printing services and other related services.
The establishment of barangay reading centers shall be supported by a barangay resolution indicating that its establishment shall be perpetual in nature. Should the existing building of a barangay reading center become unsuitable, the barangay and city library shall find an appropriate replacement and allocate funds for relocation.
The ordinance tasked the City Mayor to sign and enter into a tripartite agreement with the National Library of the Philippines for the establishment of barangay reading centers and such other agreements to advance the purpose of the proposed measure.
It added that the barangay reading centers shall follow the 8-hour official time of government offices from 8 am to 5 pm, Mondays to Fridays, and that additional operating days or hours may be assigned by the city librarian pursuant to existing rules and regulations.
The ordinance prescribed the fees that will be charged by the barangay reading centers such as printing fee which will be free of charge for the first three pages with minimal cost for excess pages and charging PhP20 per hour consumable and non-refundable where clients are mandated to use their own devices for charging.
Existing barangay libraries established by the city library shall be supported by barangays by assigning a barangay staff that will oversee the security of patrons.
Moreover, budgetary requirements shall be included in the annual appropriations of the succeeding fiscal year following the approval of the ordinance subject to pertinent rules, regulations and procedures. By Dexter A. See
