Baguio pushes south- bound terminal project

BAGUIO CITY – The local government is pushing through with the south-bound terminal project within a 4-hectare portion of the 8-hectare property ceded to the city by the agriculture department through a deed of usufruct.

              Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said proponents signified their intention to partner with the local government for the realization of the project to relocate south-bound buses to an established terminal outside the central business district.

Aside from SM Prime holdings that earlier signified its intention to put up the south-bound terminal within the designated portion of the city property, the other multinational companies that have approached the local chief executive and also offered their services for the city’s priority project include Megawide and probably Robinsons that is why concerned offices were tasked to finalize the comprehensive master development plan and survey of the property that was formally ceded to the city.

The establishment of terminals outside the central business district is one of the major projects of the present administration to decongest the central business district from the presence of various bus terminals that contribute to the monstrous traffic congestions.

The city mayor said companies are interested partner with the government for the  high impact development projects considering part of the present administration’s 15-point collective agenda is enhanced traffic management through multi-stakeholder approaches to ease the burden of the people having to be confronted with daily traffic jams around the city.

According to Magalong, representatives of companies interested to partner with the local government in construction of the south-bound bus terminal along Marcos highway inspected the property and that the city is only awaiting submission of their proposals while the terms of reference for the project are being readied.

                Apart from this, the city government is looking for partners to put up the west-bound terminal in a private property located in the boundary of Irisan and Puguis, La Trinidad, Benguet, the north-bound terminal within portions of the Slaughterhouse compound, the central terminal within the property of the State-owned Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), the east-bound terminal within Pacdal and a government-funded parking terminal at the right side of the Baguio Convention Center.

The local government is also looking forward to improve the city’s mass transport system as it is now entertaining proponents intending to conduct a feasibility study for the establishment of a monorail within the central business district area to help in easing the burden of the public from the daily traffic congestions in crowded places in the central business district area.

Earlier, the agriculture department ceded to the local government some 8.1-hectare portion of the 94-hectare Baguio Dairy Farm to be used for the realization of a number of its priority development projects ranging from solid waste disposal projects, terminal among others. – Dexter A. See