Baguio as it reaches 110

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

BAGUIO CITY – For so long, some business establishment owners in Baguio have been going their merry ways in getting business permits from City Hall and doing business not stipulated in what they applied for.

With the start of the new city administration headed by Mayor Benjie Magalong, many businesses like restaurants and bars were closed for not complying with laws like city ordinances. 

***

The problem had been partly due to City Hall procedures. In past administrations, applicants for business permits were required to pay first at the city treasury office before accomplishing requirements like sanitary, barangay and fire permits.

Now, it is the other way around. We were told a business permit applicants must first accomplish requirements like those at the barangay level before being allowed to pay at City Hall.  Applicants said this is a better and more efficient process.

***

This, as the City Permits and Licensing Division under the City Mayor’s Office reported a significant increase in business permit applications during the first month of the present administration compared to those who applied for permits during the same period last year, a city hall press release said.

City Permits and Licensing Officer Allan Abayao disclosed from July 1-31, there were 1,020 permits issued by the said office which is 31.08 percent more than the 731 permits that were issued by the local government during the same month last year.

However, he said the number of special permits issued by the local government in July this year which was 1,389 was lower by 11.35 percent compared to 1,567 special permits issued the same period last year.

***

Last year, the local government reportedly issued a total of 28,250 regular and special permits wherein 20,709 were classified as regular permits while 7,541 were special permits.

From January 1 to July 31 this year, Abayao said the local government issued 20,037 regular permits and 5,709 special permits or a total of 25,738 regular and special permits.

In terms of closure orders, Abayao revealed Mayor Magalong issued 498 closure orders wherein 460 orders were implemented while 38 have yet to be implemented.

He 235 of the issued closure orders were issued by former Mayor Mauricio Domogan and were re-issued by Mayor Magalong.

***

The city permits and licensing officer reported increase in regular business permits issued by the local government over the past five years and even during the first seven months of this year which shows the city remains a favorite investment hub.

Based on data from the City Permits and Licensing office, the local government issued 17,158 regular permits in 2014, 18,370 regular permits in 2015, 19,083 regular permits in 2016, 19,590 regular permits in 2017 and 20,709 regular permits last year.

***

Abayao said the local government will be able to exceed the number of regular permits issued last year based on established trend of increasing number of applications for issuance of regular permits.

Earlier, the local government streamlined the issuance of business permits wherein applicants can be issued permits in less than one hour once their requirements are complete and fed into the system for processing.

Abayao urged applicants to ensure their documentary requirements are complete when processing their applications with the office so that they can be issued the same within an hour after their documents shall have been entered into the system.

***

Business in the Summer Capital is booming as rise in business permit applications show. But business is still being hampered by heavy traffic, even if it somehow eased with clearing of road obstructions.

The Koreans, who some years back have pushed the city’s economy have evidently become lesser. Even foreign tourists have been observed to have become scarce.

Observers have pointed out with the internet pointing out many tourist destinations, foreign travelers are now going to more rustic sites like Sagada in Mountain Province in the north or Siargao down south.

This is maybe for the better so the city would not become more congested.

***

Baguio was designed by US architect Daniel Burnham for only 25,000 people. Now it is a lot more than that. It is no wonder the city is still experiencing problems like heavy traffic, garbage, crime among others. Social scientists are saying the thrust of the city should be to decongest it and spread the sunshine in nearby Benguet towns.

For one, as nightlife in Baguio wanes with the closing of pubs, nearby La Trinidad is booming with establishments which feature live music.

***

As the city celebrates its 110th charter anniversary this Sept. 1, what happened to the so-called master development plan to address problems of the once so-called City of Pines?     

Pundits are saying maybe, it is high time Mayor Magalong, Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan and the city council would sit down to thresh this out.

Longing for the smell of pine trees along Session Road to come back maybe wishful thinking. But then, is it still possible to plant pine trees or those which can provide a canopy in the future at the center of the road rather than flowers?