Baguio eyes free charging hubs

BAGUIO CITY — The local government of Baguio is seeking to institutionalize free charging stations for residents during prolonged power outages caused by natural disasters.

Baguio City Administrator Vittorio Jerico “VJ” Cawis presented the program paper for Project BIAG (Baguio Integrated Access to Generator) Power during a recent management committee meeting at City Hall presided over by Mayor Benjamin Magalong.

The proposed initiative seeks to decentralize emergency charging services by establishing Barangay Emergency Power Points in communities across the city.

The neighborhood stations will use existing city- and barangay-owned generators, along with portable power systems, so residents will not have to travel far to charge mobile phones, power banks, laptops and other essential electronic devices during emergencies.

Project BIAG Power was launched in November 2025 after severe weather caused widespread power outages across Baguio. The city government opened the lobbies of City Hall and the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center to provide residents with access to charging facilities. “BIAG” is an Ilocano word for life.

Amid intermittent blackouts triggered by the ongoing monsoon rains, the temporary charging stations at City Hall and the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center were reopened on 10 August 2026.

Residents and visitors using the facilities were advised to bring their own devices and charging cables.

Cawis clarified that Project BIAG Power is intended to complement, rather than replace, grid restoration efforts by electric utilities, existing city charging hubs, evacuation center power supplies and private charging options.

Instead, the initiative seeks to bridge the gap between the loss of household power and the restoration of the electricity grid by bringing basic emergency power access closer to communities.