BAGUIO CITY

Domogan to refile 22 bills of local, national concerns
BY GINA DIZON

BAGUIO CITY -- Rep. Mauricio Domogan will refile 22 bills of local and national concerns when the 14th Congress would convene on July 23.

Proposed in the 12th Congress and remained pending in the Senate are House bills revising the charter of Baguio City, nationalization of six high school annexes, and direct appropriation of the 40 percent share of local government units from the profits of business companies operating in their jurisdictions among others.

House Bill 3617, an Act revising the Charter of the City of Baguio, intends to include provisions on the City having full authority to review land use, subdivisions and residential lots, and issue titles to qualified applicants.

The amendment would allow all alienable and disposable lands falling under Townsite reservations be titled in the name of the city government.

Domogan said if the bill would be approved, the city will apply for titling with the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources which would issue titles in the name of the city government. The city in turn would award titles to qualified applicants.

“We will be solving two problems, real property taxes will be paid to the city government and the problem of ownership will also be resolved,” Domogan said.

A proposed amendments to HB 3617; the national government should contribute to the administrative expenses of the city government.

As provided in an earlier law, the national government recognized that the City of Baguio have national government properties administered by the city.

Maintenance of Burnham Park , and the automatic appropriation of P20 million every year as maintenance fees, is provided in House Bill 2001.

House Bill 5003 intends to amend section 290 of RA 7160 of the Local Government Code. Local government units are supposed to have a 40 percent share of the net profit of hydro electric and other business operating in the LGU’s jurisdiction.

Business companies currently pay their taxes to the Bureau of Internal Revenue which in turn issues a certification that a certain company paid such an amount to Department of Budget and Management.

The DBM include sin the next budgeting year the share of the local government unit the 40 percent share of the local government unit as part of the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Domogan said if the DBM forgot to include additional budget, local governments have difficulty getting their share.

The amendment calls for the taxpayer to pay directly to the treasury of the local host government what is due local government and pay to the national government what the latter is due.

Through the passage of this bill into law, Domogan said the city government can mandate these companies pay income taxes directly to the city treasury.

Also, respective house bills on the nationalization of school annexes of Baguio City National High School namely Roxas NHS, Joaquin Smith NHS, Mil-an NHS, Pinsao NHS, Guisad Valley NHS, and Magsaysay NHS shall be refiled.

In effect, the nationalization of these school annexes will let them have their separate budgets and own principals.

House Bill 1447 seeks to establish a Baguio City National Science High School and House Bill 1447 calls for the establishment of a Baguio City Science High School as a localized branch of the national Philippine Science High School.

The solon said vital participation of people is important in the discussion of the proposed laws. “We can conduct a regular forum to this effect.”


Baguio, top tourism draw is also convention center
BY DEXTER A SEE

BAGUIO CITY -- Regarded as “Summer Capital” of the Philippines , Baguio may yet have another feather in its cap -- Convention Capital -- courtesy of local leaders of the travel and tourism sector.

“We want all roads leading to Baguio not only during summer, but throughout the entire year,” said Dangal Guevara Jr., an officer of the Baguio Conventions and Visitors Bureau.

Given the mountain city’s consistently cool climate even as lowlanders swelter in blistering heat, Guevara said selling Baguio as a convention center can’t be too difficult.

He said people flock to Baguio for several other reasons. “There are many ways to package Baguio : as university city , honeymoon haven, or travel and adventure destination.”

Tourism in Baguio , he said, traditionally peaks in February when the Panagbenga Festival is held.

Panagbenga, which attracts local and foreign tourists, also ushers in the Holy Week exodus of holiday-seekers trying to escape the scorching temperature in the lowlands.

After summer, however, tourism and other business activities generally slow down, with the slack prevalent for the greater part the year.

To fill up the void, the BCVB decided to launch a vigorous tourism campaign designed to encourage business enterprises to hold their conventions in Baguio .

The decision was firmed up during a recent marketing forum spearheaded by the Manila North Tollways Corp. in conjunction with its Rediscover the North, a campaign meant to drum up the tourism potentials of northern Philippines .

Guevara said the city has adequate accommodation facilities to host any convention, ranging from modest company meetings to industry congresses.

“Depending on the company’s needs, we have a place to offer. It’s a big gathering, we have the 3,000-seat Baguio Convention Center or the entire Camp John Hay. For modest ones, we can offer the universities and hotels as ideal venues,” Guevara said.

What makes Baguio best for conventions is that it has the facilities of both an urban center and a rural resort.

It has the restaurants that Metro Manila has. Additionally, it has hot springs and wellness centers in natural settings.

For nature-lovers and the more adventurous souls, Baguio has more than enough for hiking.

Guevara said corporations eyeing Baguio as a convention site should not encounter any problems about coordination.

"All they need to do is get in touch with us and we will help them facilitate the processes. For big events, we can even act as the secretariat," Guevara said, adding BCVB people, being homegrown, know the place like the palm of their hands, as well as the sentiments and culture of the people.

Such familiarity, he said comes in handy for the success of big events such as the Advertising Congress. “We can make different venues work together. The BCVB can do the negotiations. We're here to make everyone win," Guevara said.

The BCVB has opened communication lines with local event organizers, as well as the universities whose students in tourism-related courses could be tapped to provide additional manpower for big events.

The BCVB also mulls the setting up of information centers throughout Baguio .

Guevara hinted that plans are afoot for the holding of a big event by year-end, but did not elaborate.

"What we want is for events in Baguio to be institutionalized. We want events that will not only put Baguio in the national calendar of tourism events, but in the world calendar as well."


Kennon squatting alarms city officials who press its declaration as heritage site
BY AILEEN P. REFUERZO

BAGUIO CITY – The squatting problem along Kennon Road has remained unabated with more unscrupulous individuals staking claims over public and private lots.

This has alarmed the city council which invited several personalities to give information on the status of illegal structures in the area: acting city legal officer Melchor Carlos Rabanes as to the status of demolition orders issued in the area; city building official Engr. Oscar Flores, on the building permits; and District Engineering Office of the Dept. of Public Works and Highways which has jurisdiction over the road being a national highway.

The body also expressed intention to reiterate Resolution No. 112-2003 urging President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo “to take leadership in preserving Kennon Road as a Heritage Site and as premier gateway to the City of Baguio .”

Councilor Antonio Tabora Jr. noted the resolution was passed to obtain the necessary appropriations from the DPWH for the road’s rehabilitation into a world-class and all-weather road.

The body said the road’s preservation as heritage site will prevent its being taken over by squatters as what is now happening.

The move was in relation to the suggestion of Director Victor Carantes, regional technical director for Lands of the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources regional office for the body to pass a resolution directing the DENR to issue a proclamation over Kennon Road to declare it as a “national shrine” to protect it from further encroachment.

Tabora’s motion was deferred and referred to an appropriate committee pending result of the inquiry.

Carantes who was earlier invited by the body to also shed light on squatting along the highway confirmed illegal structures have proliferated along the highway even within prohibited sites like the areas covered by the highway’s right-of-way.

He said his office has not issued any provisional permit for the construction of any one of these structures nor has given due course to any townsite sales application covering lots within the prohibited area.
As per laws, no construction can be allowed on road rights-of-way which are areas located 30 meters on either side of the road.

Councilor Erdolfo Balajadia said the Public Land Act and even Republic Act No. 917 even expands the rights-of-way coverage to 60 meters from the centerline for national roads constructed through forested areas.

The body also resolved to invite district engineer Neri Bueno to shed light on the illegal structure improvements found in front of the Lion’s Head consisting of ten stalls selling souvenir items.

The same was referred to the council committee on market, trade and commerce for study and recommendation.


BCDA starts implementation of Camp John Hay master plan
BY DEXTER A SEE

BAGUIO CITY – Life in this mountain resort city will now be at par with other urban centers in the country due to the reinvigorated development of one of its scenic spots that will surely make a big difference in the people’s living condition and quality of life.

Camp John Hay, a former rest and recreation facility of American troops stationed in the Philippines, is now being integrated into the mainstream of Baguio City’s socio-economic life through implementation of a development master development plan, optimizing land use and enhancing its eco-tourism potentials without sacrificing the area’s rich forest cover and other natural attractions.

The setup involves the use of local labor in the construction and business activities within the camp, and tapping local villagers in environment protection and security concerns.

At the driver’s seat of all these efforts is the John Hay Management Corp. (JHMC), a subsidiary of state-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) which was created by law to supervise the conversion and development of erstwhile military camps, including Fort Bonifacio and Villamor Air Base in Metro Manila.

As estate manager of the John Hay Special Economic Zone (JHSEZ), the JHMC envisions the transformation of the facility into a premier tourist and investment destination in Northern Luzon , with lots of help from local folk.

The development plan, however, adheres closely to a number of strict pre-conditions defined by the city government, notably on the conversion of a 288-hectare area into what is the John Hay Special Economic Zone (JHSEZ).

Under the master plan, areas still open for lease were divided into two sites: the Greenwater which would be developed into a flower theme park, and the Scout Barrio allocated for housing and hostel community. Titles of ownership have been readied for distribution to qualified beneficiaries at the Scout Barrio.

Meanwhile, the JHMC continues to pursue its collaboration efforts with various stakeholders for a smoother implementation of the high-impact projects being implemented within the baseland.

The JHMC also set up a one-stop action center (OSAC) to speed up the processing of the locators’ business permits and other documents. The center houses extension offices of line government agencies such as the Social Security System, Department of Labor and Employment, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Department of Health, PhilHealth and Pag-ibig Fund.

The JHMC likewise put up the Office of Building and Civil Works to complement the OSAC in the issuance of permits pertaining to infrastructure and civil works inside the JHSEZ.

In keeping with the restrictions, only 18 hectares of John Hay’s 246.9 hectares were earmarked for vertical structures. Understandably, this is to limit to the barest minimum human intervention and preserve John Hay’s natural qualities as a haven for environmentalists.

Corollary to this, an inventory of existing trees within John Hay was conducted jointly with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Multipartite Monitoring Team.
For its part, John Hay developer Camp John Hay Development Corp. (CJHDevCo) set aside P500,000 as Environmental Guarantee Fund, in addition to P1 million for environmental damages.

In the entertainment department, the BCDA mandated that only wholesome, family-oriented entertainment and recreation activities are held within the Zone.

But the Baguio City council has approved a resolution allowing gaming inside the Zone, provided only tourists and members can play. But residents of the city and adjoining provinces are guaranteed free access to John Hay and its facilities at discounted rates.

For water supply, CJHDevCo tapped two natural springs that sustained the 1,500 cubic meters daily requirement of the Zone. Hence, no additional wells were drilled. John Hay also supplies water to the Scout Barrio and adjacent barangays for household use until such time that the Baguio Water District can take over these communities.

For sanitation, three sewage treatment plants were installed to recycle wastewater for irrigation purposes.

While the BCDA and JHMC enjoy some degree of autonomy in developing John Hay, the Baguio City government is assured of representation in all development activities within the Zone fin the spirit of transparency.