MORE NEWS, BAGUIO CITY

P1.1 million Panagbenga tax paid to Baguio gov’t
Mike Guimbatan Jr.

BAGUIO CITY – Organizers of one of four major promotional and trade activity in this years Panagbenga celebration have already remitted P1.1 million to the city treasury Wednesday.

Panagbenga founder, atty. Damaso Bangaoet turned over to City Treasurer Thelma B. Manaois a manager’s check amounting to P1,111,688 representing revenues from the Market Encounter and Landscape exhibit at Burnham Park. The amount includes business taxes, Mayor’s permit tax and garbage collection fee.

The amount is a big leap from last year's P352,000 remittance by a different organizer for the same activity.

At least 316 stalls measuring 8’ by 8’ are selling various wares while over a hundred more are on reserve in the market encounter area at one end of Burnham park where it also host the landscape competition.

The amount was computed by the City Treasurer in her demand letter dated Feb. 23, 2008.
Without hesitation, Bangaoet personally delivered the Banco de Oro check.

Last year, the market encounter only managed to contribute P352,000 to the city income while the session road in bloom produced an income of P450,000 to the Treasury.

Bangaoet said the city government has helped a lot in promoting the annual Panagbenga or Flower Festival since it was first launched in 1995, it is now high time for the city to share from the festival income.

The sudden increase in tax share is mainly due to the increased participation of trade fair participants and cost cutting measures by the market encounter management.

Other trade related activity includes the Session road in Bloom, and promotional activities along two roads tagged as the Legarda nights and Abanao Nights,

Every year, at least a million tourists visit Baguio to witness the street and float parade competition. Expenses per tourist is estimated at P3,000 for the two days which means a whooping P3 billion gross income of the city in two days.


VM Farinas: bid out Asin hydo operation
BAGUIO CITY – Vice Mayor Daniel Farinas proposed a resolution authorizing Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. to negotiate and receive bids for the operation of the Asin minihydroelectric plants.

In his proposal, Farinas said the city needs to tap all its income-generating capabilities in these times of global economic difficulties and one of the resources that can be fully utilized is the these hydro plants.

“The operation of the Asin Hydroelectric Power Plants is an income generating resource and/or asset of the city government that can be tapped to supplement its financial capability and any delay in the operation of said plants could mean lesser income on the part of the city,” Farinas said.

He said the city must take advantage of the opportunity to maximize the income generation capacity of the plants “so that the delivery of basic services to its constituents will not be delayed because of funding problems.”

“There is a need therefore to authorize the Honorable City Mayor to negotiate and accept bids for the operation of the Asin Hydroelectric Power Plants for its immediate and full operation,” he said.

Farinas’ measure will be tackled by the city council soon. – Aileen. P. Refuerzo


Dads probe ‘secret’ casino in John Hay
BAGUIO CITY – Is there a secret casino operation in Camp John Hay?

Members of the city council want to know as much that they agreed last Monday to call for an investigation of the said report.

The move stemmed from a proposed resolution of Councilor Galo Weygan urging for the said probe.

Weygan said there was persistent and “consistent information” of a secret gambling operation in Camp John Hay and this is “known only to the elite.”

“The operation of casino in Camp John Hay is prohibited under the provisions of Resolution No. 362 series of 1994 under number 2 conditionality..,” Weygan said.

As per the approved measure, an inquiry will be made from the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) on the matter.

The body will also ask the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct a separate investigation.

The move was approved “jointly and collectively” by the body. – Aileen P. Refuerzo


Mayor signs MOA for Baguio land use plans
BAGUIO CITY- Mayor Reinaldo Bautista, Jr. last week together with Rev. Fr. Jessie Hechanova of Saint Louis University signed a memorandum of agreement for the city’s comprehensive land use plans, utilizing modern technology from the academe for such endeavor.

The MOA takes effect, as signed last Feb. 25, and will continue until terminated by either party.

The agreement was done to have a “guide for the orderly development of the city,” through satellite images, thereby generating thematic maps as needed.

The city shall provide a planning team, licensed software to the laboratory, supplies and materials, and expenses for the whole duration of the said project. All data required shall also be provided by the city.

Saint Louis University, which possesses a satellite image of the city shall allow its use by the city, perform the analysis to be done by technical representatives from different offices, using facilities in the SLU Engineering Urban Planning Research Laboratory, and consent to assistance of graduate and undergraduate students in the project; as allowed by the local government unit of Baguio.

All procedures, however should be done within the SLU Urban Planning Research Laboratory, with all generated maps to be jointly owned by the school and the city. Permission would have to be requested from SLU if further studies would be done on the land use plan.

The signing was witnessed by other city officials and department heads. – Julie G. Fianza


Baguio council supports moratorium on tuition
BAGUIO CITY – Students from different universities here gained support of the city council after sentiments about tuition and miscellaneous fees increase proposals were aired last March 2.

Led by the National Union of Students of the Philippines and the College Editors Guild of the Philippines, the students earlier condemned higher educational institutions that threatened to increase their tuition and miscellaneous fees in a time of crisis.

“If they insist on taking more from the students, more of us will most likely transfer to state universities which could no longer accommodate an exodus of students,” said NUSP Baguio-Benguet chairperson Finela Mejia.

Recognizing the limitations of the council on private higher educational institutions, Mejia asked councilors to support existing bills in the Lower House such as HB 2440 “An act imposing a three-year moratorium on tuition and other fee increases on all educational institutions” and HB 1274 or the “Private school fee regulation act of 2007” authored by CEGP alumnus and Bayan Muna partylist representative Teddy Casiño.

Vice Mayor Daniel Fariñas asked the council to take action on city ordinance 53 series 2008 and allocate funds for student welfare.


Rescuer dies in trike accident
BAGUIO CITY — A member of a prestigious local rescue group here died after he lost control of the motorcycle he was driving, which banged his head on the concrete pavement early morning March 3.

Chief Supt. Orlando Pestano, regional director of the Police Regional Office in the Cordillera, identified the victim as Xavier Neil John Salinas Lacwata, 20, single, a resident of km. 4 Marcos Highway and a member of the Rescue 911 group in the city.

Police investigation showed the victim was driving his Honda XRM motorcycle with license plate number AF-6768 while on his way home when he allegedly lost control of the vehicle’s steering wheel, fell into the road gutter and banged his head.

Despite wearing a helmet, the victim suffered multiple injuries in the head and different parts of the body, which caused his instant death.

Responding police immediately rushed the victim to the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center but he was pronounced dead on arrival by attending physicians. – Dexter A See