Mayor tasks offices for Montañosa Film Festival

The local government recently outlined the tasks of the various offices in the upcoming conduct of the 2026 Montañosa Film Festival that will run through the whole month of March.

Under Executive Order No. 169, series of 2025 signed by Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong, the City Administrator’s Office-Tourism, Culture and Arts Division shall provide administrative support, subject to applicable laws, rules and regulations.

The City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) was also tasked to reserve and allow the organizers to use the parks as venues for the festival activities as provided under the said order such as, but not limited to, the Diplomat Hotel for the horror film screening and the Luna Drive or the Melvin Jones grandstand for the cinecircle youth fest and Sinemurian and Folk Music Festival that would require implementation of food expo.

Likewise, the CEPMO shall extend all support specifically, but not limited to, the use of its venue and resources in landscaping and beautification of the venues and waiving of all fees appropriate to the use of the said city facilities.

The Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) shall formulate and implement a festival operation plan for the safe and orderly conduct of activities, particularly in crowd management and ensuring orderly vehicular movement at various festival venues and to exclude all official vehicles submitted by the MFF team in the number coding scheme and parking regulations so as not to hamper the overall implementation of the festival while the Baguio fire department shall maintain a standby fire truck and personnel at event venues.

The City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) shall allow the organizers to post, free of charge, advertising materials in the main thoroughfares of the city and surrounding the Baguio Convention Center, Session road and the Burnham lake while CBAO and the City Engineering Office (CEO) shall extend their resources in physical arrangement and other works during activities requiring such support.

The CEO-Traffic and Transportation Management Division shall waive parking fees in public parking spaces for identified MFF vehicles, and assist them in terms of parking to facilitate smooth implementation of the festival while the City Health Services Office (CHSO) shall monitor compliance with standards and reasonable health conditions during the conduct of the activities.

The Sangguniang Kabataan Federation (SKF) shall provide assistance in terms of volunteers and human resources, and participate in the planning and implementation of the film festival as part of its commitment to promoting youth participation and empowerment while the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the BFP and the CHSO-Emergency Medical Services Office shall provide standby medical and rescue services.

The Public Information Office shall cause the widest dissemination of the MFF Activities through social media postings, press releases, live streaming of all relevant events of the festival among others. – Dexter A. See