Baguio City council to probe Panagbenga trade fair, funds

Domogan orders detailed accounting

By Aileen P. Refuerzo and Paul T. Rillorta

BAGUIO CITY – The city council is set to investigate financial matters and issues surrounding trade fairs conducted during yearly staging of Panagbenga Festival here following complaints of residents and officials funds were misused.

This, as Mayor Mauricio Domogan said he will be requiring accounting of collections, gross income and expenses and audited financial report of this year’s Panagbenga.

“The financial report should provide a detailed financial statement and accounting, not just a financial audited report,” he said.

City treasurer AlicaOnoza and licensing division chief Braille Van Reyes  were invited to shed light on implementation of the city’s trade fair ordinance as called for by Councilor Richard Carino.

Also up for deliberation are resolutions of Councilor Leandro Yangot Jr. requesting the city treasurer to conduct a complete inventory and accounting of all trade fairs that operated during Panagbenga and creating the task force Panagbenga to look into issues involving Baguio Blooms and other Panagbenga trade fairs.  

In his proposal, Yangot said a complete inventory and proper accounting of all trade fairs conducted for the Panagbenga is in order for the city to have “complete picture of this money-making venture and to determine whether or not the city is financially gaining from it.”

He said Onoza being the designated chairperson of the Baguio Blooms operation “is the appropriate authority to account not only the operation of the Baguio Blooms but operations of all the trade fairs conducted during the Panagbenga 2015 celebration.”

In the other proposed resolution which Yangot co-authored with Councilors Peter Fianza and IsabeloCosalan Jr., the councilors sought creation of a task force Panagbenga to specifically investigate the issues raised by the Hotel and Restaurant Associations of Baguio (HRAB) and Center for Hospitality Education Foundation (CHEF) Inc. as contained in their published letter dated March 5, 2015 to Onoza. 

According to the letter, Onoza invited the HRAB and CHEF Inc. to attend a meeting on March 6 to determine the income derived from the Baguio Blooms and Session Road in Bloom and other related matters.

The aldermen noted in their response to Onoza’s invitation, CHEF Inc. executive director Web Antipala, registration committee chair Anne Ramos, and HRAB executive director MalouGaliste raised matters that are worth looking into particularly their statements thus:

“We would like to emphasize that not all stalls for Baguio Blooms and Session Road in Bloom were sold because we provided complimentary stall to several socio-economic groups, artists, visually impaired masseurs and masseuses, cultural and progressive groups, PMA and others. We have likewise provided complementary 100 stalls for the 128 barangay of the City of Baguio and through the Association of Barangay Council and provided one sidewalk of the Lake Drive, electrical and water connection and supply free of charge to the landscapers for their participation in the Panagbenga Landscaping Competition;

“In the meantime, in the spirit of equality and transparency, may we respectfully request you to provide us with the accounting of revenues and expenses of two ongoing trade fairs, specifically the trade fair along Juan Luna Drive at Burnham, Park which is reportedly being managed by you and Mr. Masahiro Okuda and being publicized as “Baguio Blooms Extension”(which by way was not coordinated with CHEF, Inc. despite explicit instruction of the Honorable Mayor that you coordinate this trade fair with CHEF, Inc.), and the trade fair inside People’s Park at Malcolm Square which is reportedly being managed also by Mr. Masahiro Okuda. The latter is not part of the ‘Session Road in Bloom’ but being misconstrued by the general public as part of the ‘Session Road in Bloom.’ We also learned that the trade fair at People’s Park was intended for BLISTT constituents but apparently majority of the stalls belong to individuals not from the BLISTT areas.”

The aldermen said matters raised by HRAB and Chef Inc. “need to be investigated as there appears to be rules and procedures being implemented in the conduct of the Baguio Blooms and other trade fairs that are questionable and needs to be clarified in order to ensure proper accounting and auditing of the said Panagbenga related activity.”

“Among the concerns that need to be clarified is whether or not the city is financially gaining from this money making venture,” they added.

They said a task force or an independent investigating body needs to be created to undertake an “indepth investigation” on the conduct of the Baguio Blooms and other trade fairs operating during the 2015 Panagbenga Celebrations.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan said there was no approval of a trade fair in Burnham Park except for the extension of the Baguio Blooms.

“I think it is just a matter of clarifying it and we have to clear everything so it goes smoothly,” he said.

The mayor said if certain violations will come out then they will no longer be allowed to participate in the next Panagbenga.

“We have to insist this in the post-evaluation of the activity,” Domogan said.