CITY COUNCIL POST

Solving trade fair woes
ISAGANI S. LIPORADA

BAGUIO CITY – Councilors Elaine Sembrano and Perlita Rondez last week may have tripped on a concoction to finally seal cracks in the admittedly defective 13-year old trade fair ordinance (Ordinance 49-94) by asking “a little help” from friends. During the public hearing on a proposed measure amending Ordinance 49-94, Nov. 14, the “solution” did not only stare them at their faces, it reminded the participants it was just right under the city government’s nose all along – probably ever since the word “trade fair” was used in the city. Department of Trade and Industry Baguio-Benguet caretaker Freda Gawisan commenting on the proposed measure said “DTI had always been in the forefront in promoting small and medium scale enterprises, promoting SME’s via the conduct of trade fairs.”

“We have guidelines enshrined in our mandate ensuring the kind and quality of products we exhibit in DTI-led fairs,” she added as she asked for exemptions in DTI-led product expos, among which, is the allotment of “10-percent of the gross income from sponsoring entities,” provided for in the proposed measure. The 10-percent share of the city is automatically earmarked for the beautification and cleanliness program of the city, although such program has yet to be formalized.

She suggested that “not only should products on sale be original but must be certified by DTI.” Sembrano and Rondez wasted no time in asking whether or not DTI was willing to screen prospective organizers applying for permits from the city government. “We are willing to help,” Gawisan answered adding with DTI guidelines, the city can be assured that products exhibited shall likewise be certified novelty that it wouldn’t compete with those sold in the regular market.

Both aldermen welcomed the DTI offer saying a screening system involving concerned agencies “may indeed afford legitimate businessmen greater protection.” Sembrano said, “the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s trade committee (TradeCom) shall be coming up with a system to involve not only DTI but other concerned agencies like the Department of Agriculture, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Bureau of Food and Drugs among others, in the screening of various fair organizers and their participants.”

“Once the system consolidated in the new measure, the SP-TradeCom’s recommendations for approval or disapproval of fair applications can have real basis we could lean on, compared to the previous ordinance which gives the TradeCom and the SP too much discretion that it defeats the very purpose of ordinance 49-94 in regulating fairs,” Sembrano said.

Main features of the proposed amendatory measure which are still expected to be refined further once it reached the council agenda include the conduct of trade fairs for a period of 15 non-extendible days; and the exclusion of all city parks from the holding of expositions. Sembrano and Rondez meanwhile admitted the proposed ordinance is nowhere near perfect “and a lot of inputs coming from the concerned government and non-government sectors during the public hearing shall be consolidated in the proposal.”

Another amendment to the current fair measure is the exclusion of the months of June to November from the holding of trade fairs and the opening of the doors of commerce to trade fair organizers from outside the city and the Cordi region. “The committee,” Sembrano said, “is considering the suggestion of allowing trade fairs during said months after it was suggested that fairs could be held indoors during the rainy season to give our constituents greater chances of enhancing their livelihood.” Both councilors however reiterated previous declarations that “definitely, we are for banning the holding of fairs in all our public parks.”