SM, Megawide, Robinson’s to join Baguio terminal proj

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said three Manila-based terminal operators have already signified their intention to participate in the city government’s plan to put up a south-bound terminal within a portion of the 8-hectare lot ceded to the city by the agriculture department through a deed of usufruct.

The city chief executive said that Shoemart, Megawide and Robinsons, three of the biggest terminal operators based in Metro Manila, already informed him of their intention to cooperate with the city government for the realization of the south-bound bus terminal to help decongest the city’s central business district of the presence of south-bound buses.

He said the city government needs around 4 hectares of the ceded property purposely for this facility as a 3-hectare portion will be for the establishment of the proposed waste-to-energy plant while the remaining 1 hectare will be for a multipurpose use which will be determined by the city.

Earlier, Magalong revealed the city government intends to put up some six terminals and parking structures in strategic areas around the city for the parking requirements of buses plying different destinations outside the city aside from providing adequate parking spaces for motor vehicles coming from different areas.

Apart from the proposed south-bound bus terminal, the other proposed terminals and parking structures will be located within the 8,000-square meter property of Dwight Nicolas Bello in Irisan for west-bound buses, the Slaughterhouse bus terminal for north-bound buses, the State-owned Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) property that will serve as a central bus terminal and parking structure and the proposed P200 million multi-level parking structure at the back of the Baguio Convention Center.

Magalong ordered concerned offices of the city government to fastrack the survey of the Baguio Dairy Farm to ascertain the areas ceded to the city and for the immediate completion of the comprehensive master development plan as there are two major strategic projects planned for the said area.

Former Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan negotiated with Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol for the ceding of an 8-hectare portion of the 94-hectare Baguio Dairy Farm property of the agency to the city government purposely for the priority projects of the city through a 50-year deed of usufruct.

Initially, the city’s temporary waste transfer station was constructed in a 5,000-square meter portion of the ceded property after a La Trinidad court barred the local government’s hauler in using his property in Longlong, Puguis, La Trinidad, Benguet as a staging area for the city’s residual waste prior to being hauled out to the Urdaneta City, Pangasinan engineered sanitary landfill.