Baguio City Charter approved by Congress

BAGUIO CITY –The revised Baguio City Charter was passed on 3^rd and final Reading by the House of Representatives last Tuesday, August 27.

House Bill No. 4772 was authored by Rep. Nicasio M. Aliping, Jr. and endorsed by Rep. Pedro B. Acharon, Jr., chairman of the House committee on local government.

Aliping said this was his gift to the City on its 105^th founding anniversary. “We have surpassed a big hurdle in our aim to have this bill passed into law,” said Aliping.

A similar bill was approved by the 15^th Congress but was vetoed by President Benigno Aguino III who said it needed to be studied more as objectives of the bill relating to local governmental powers were covered by the Local Government Code of 1991.

 Aliping said the veto of President Aquino was addressed in the new bill. “Consultations and dialogues were conducted with stakeholders to address their concerns on the matter.”

“This bill carries the same objective given as these concerns continue to weigh heavily on the City of Baguio,” he said.

Some of the primary objectives of the bill are the following: settle the boundary dispute of the city with the adjoining municipality of Tuba, Benguet; effectively implement the City Government’s land use development plan; and address the problem in the disposition of alienable and disposable public lands within the Baguio townsite reservation.

“More importantly the bill seeks the revision of the charter to adapt to developments that have evolved since the enactment of the City’s original charter 105 years ago,” Aliping said.

Both Aliping and Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan echoed their concern that there is a need for revision of the charter because the original design was created by the Americans for 25,000 inhabitants and land disposal is based on their needs back then.

The present census has recorded up to 300,000 residents in 2010 and the revised charter would safeguard the award of homelots against property speculators and land grabbers.