BLISTT investment deals pushed to boost economic growth

BAGUIO CITY – Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, as chairman of the Baguio City, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba, and Tublay (BLISTT) Council, cited importance of extending investments outside of the summer capital and committed to push BLISTT economic growth in his many negotiations with potential investors.

Magalong bared this during the BLISTT Development Council meeting on Dec. 4 here at the Cordillera Regional Development Council  conference hall at the National Economic Development Authority compound.
Magalong said he missed some opportunities for possible BLISTT investment due to lack of information on land development availability in the area.

BLISTT secretary and Tublay Mayor Armando Lauro pledged his support for BLISTT development.

He said a private lot in his municipality is planned for conversion into an economic zone where investments can be channeled.

The BLISTT council agreed to pass a resolution for Magalong to deal with investment ventures for the BLISTT.
The BLISTT is one of the major economic growth areas in the Cordillera.

The BLISTT growth plan aims to decongest Baguio City while spreading economic opportunities to BLISTT municipalities.

The Regional Development Plan 2017-2022, whose preparation was coordinated by NEDA-CAR, aims to develop the area as a regional commercial and service center.

La Trinidad and Baguio City are currently home to many regional government agencies and offices as well as several major universities, not only of CAR but also, of Northern Luzon.

BLISTT is also the main gateway to the Cordillera region.

All these characteristics make the BLISTT a prime location for investment, it was observed.

Magalong urged other mayors to update their respective development masterplans to serve as a blueprint for developing the area. “We have all these investments coming to Baguio because we developed our masterplans,” he said.
NEDA has commissioned a study for the BLISTT’s infrastructure development.

The BLISTT sustainable infrastructure development masterplan aims to provide information and strategies on infrastructure development such as road networks, public transport consolidation, building guidelines, among others.
Representatives of regional offices of the Departments of Public Works and Highways, Transportation and municipal mayors of La Trinidad, Sablan and Tublay attended the meeting with NEDA-CAR as secretariat to the BLISTT Council. --Marlo Lubguban, NEDA-SPCAR