Baguio gov’t warned on developing Asin hot spring complex
>> Wednesday, February 9, 2022
TUBA, Benguet -- The
Baguio City government will be preparing
a comprehensive master development plan of the Asin hot spring complex here in
preparation for expiration of a three-year contract granted by the city government to a private operator but was
warned on the matter.
City Budget Officer lawyer Leticia O. Clemente said the city government will have to decide if it will take over the operation of the Asin hot spring complex after lapse of the 3-year contract or it will subject the same through the public-private partnership (PPP) to entice investors to operate the facility.
She said after the local government was able to possess the property, it offered the same for a short-term lease with a local company where the same is expected to expire this year.
Roger Sinot, the previous operator of the resort however said he is not opposing the city government if it will develop the area – but it should be only within the purported city government’s property.
Sinot said the Tuba government earlier attested that there was not property in the town recorded under the name of the city government while he has legal papers over his property.
He said he will file a court case if his ownership over the property is not respected.
He said almost half of the property is his and subject of litigation at the Benguet
Regional Trial Court.
Sinot said, he bought the property from his uncle.
He added the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources and Public Works and Highways had also issued certificates in his favor over the property.
The Tuba Municipal Trial Court, he said, had ruled on the case and set the metes and bounds of the property ruling half of the swimming pool was owned by Sinot and the other half owned by the city government.
The city government later elevated the case to the RTC, which he said, is still under litigation.
The previous city government, he added, had built a building over his property. Sinot said goons had earlier evicted him out from the area making him file the case.
Later the previous city government leased out the area to a purported company whose contract recently expired.
Meanwhile, the city budget officer claimed under the short-term contract with a local company, lease rentals had been increased to P30,000 with an annual escalation until the expiration of the contract.
Earlier, the previous city administration under then Mayor Mauricio Domogan had fenced off the property and evicted Sinot the Asin hot spring complex.
A short-term lease was later granted to a private company which had been operating the same since 2019.
The city budget officer said the local government has to maximize available opportunities to entice investors to partner with the city for various revenue-generating projects for the city to be able to generate substantial income that will take the place of the projected loss in its National Tax Allocation (NATA) in the next two years, particularly by 2023 and 2024.
According to her, local governments were informed by the budget department that there will be a significant reduction on their respective NATA in the next two years because of the reported reduction on the revenue that was generated by the government during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Clemente said the local government will be embarking on an 18-point investment plan to serve as the city’s blueprint in moving forward to the new normal after the Covid-19 pandemic that heavily impacted the global economy over the past two years.
She said the local government must be aggressive in enticing investors to establish their desired businesses in the city that will help generate jobs for the people and provide additional sources of revenue for the city aside from spurring the local economy.
City Budget Officer lawyer Leticia O. Clemente said the city government will have to decide if it will take over the operation of the Asin hot spring complex after lapse of the 3-year contract or it will subject the same through the public-private partnership (PPP) to entice investors to operate the facility.
She said after the local government was able to possess the property, it offered the same for a short-term lease with a local company where the same is expected to expire this year.
Roger Sinot, the previous operator of the resort however said he is not opposing the city government if it will develop the area – but it should be only within the purported city government’s property.
Sinot said the Tuba government earlier attested that there was not property in the town recorded under the name of the city government while he has legal papers over his property.
He said he will file a court case if his ownership over the property is not respected.
He said almost half of the property is his and subject of litigation at the Benguet
Regional Trial Court.
Sinot said, he bought the property from his uncle.
He added the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources and Public Works and Highways had also issued certificates in his favor over the property.
The Tuba Municipal Trial Court, he said, had ruled on the case and set the metes and bounds of the property ruling half of the swimming pool was owned by Sinot and the other half owned by the city government.
The city government later elevated the case to the RTC, which he said, is still under litigation.
The previous city government, he added, had built a building over his property. Sinot said goons had earlier evicted him out from the area making him file the case.
Later the previous city government leased out the area to a purported company whose contract recently expired.
Meanwhile, the city budget officer claimed under the short-term contract with a local company, lease rentals had been increased to P30,000 with an annual escalation until the expiration of the contract.
Earlier, the previous city administration under then Mayor Mauricio Domogan had fenced off the property and evicted Sinot the Asin hot spring complex.
A short-term lease was later granted to a private company which had been operating the same since 2019.
The city budget officer said the local government has to maximize available opportunities to entice investors to partner with the city for various revenue-generating projects for the city to be able to generate substantial income that will take the place of the projected loss in its National Tax Allocation (NATA) in the next two years, particularly by 2023 and 2024.
According to her, local governments were informed by the budget department that there will be a significant reduction on their respective NATA in the next two years because of the reported reduction on the revenue that was generated by the government during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Clemente said the local government will be embarking on an 18-point investment plan to serve as the city’s blueprint in moving forward to the new normal after the Covid-19 pandemic that heavily impacted the global economy over the past two years.
She said the local government must be aggressive in enticing investors to establish their desired businesses in the city that will help generate jobs for the people and provide additional sources of revenue for the city aside from spurring the local economy.
Baguio is the
center of trade and commerce in the Cordillera apart from being the educational
center of the north, thus, the city serves as the convergence area of people
from different parts of the country wanting to seek greener pasture for them to
be able to uplift the living condition of their families. – Alfred Dizon and
Dexter A. See
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