Go, Baguio execs press BCDA compliance to 19 rules over Camp John Hay

By Jordan G. Habbiling

BAGUIO CITY – City officials pressed to “put more teeth” on compliance of the Bases Conversion Development Authority to the 19 conditionalities imposed by the city government in the formulation of a master development plan for the former American rest and recreation camp.
    But Rep.  Marquez Go and members of the City Council, in a meeting t May 19, said it is best to take to Congress the discussion on the 19 conditionalities imposed by the city government to BCDA.
    The proposed talk in Congress will zero in on the “degree of compliance” of the BCDA with these 19 conditionalities. 
    Go promised to undertake legislative action in order to strengthen all local measures previously enacted by the city council regarding these 19 conditionalities. 
    Go cited the resolutory portion of the affidavit of the BCDA’s meeting in 1996 which states that “the 19 conditionalities of the city council of Baguio as contained in Council Resolution No. 362, series of 1994 has been taken into consideration and to be complied with by the John Hay Poro Point Development Corporation through agreements and/or contracts.”
    But the city government has yet to enter into a “contract” or an "agreement" with the BCDA, Go said.
    Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan said executing a contract with the BCDA is necessary in order to ensure that the 19 conditionalities are strictly complied with. He added that the BCDA had been reminded countless times by the city government to comply. However, such constant reminders seemed to have fallen on deaf ears, he claimed.
    The vice mayor stressed that a more assertive move needs to be undertaken in order to ensure full compliance.
    Councilor Fred Bagbagen stressed that these 19 conditionalities are non-negotiable.
    Meanwhile, Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda said, “the first thing we should do is to find out whether these 19 conditionalities are incorporated into the master development plan of Camp John Hay.
    Then from there, we can come up with an ordinance or [push for] a contract, as stated in that affidavit.”
    Several council resolutions had been passed directing the BCDA to submit to the city council a written status report on its compliance with the 19 conditionalities. However, the city council has yet to receive the said document. 
    One of these conditionalities that are not complied with is the segregation of the 13 barangays within the Camp John Hay Reservation (no. 14). 
    Other conditionalities that the city council would like to inquire about are on the housing programs of the BCDA for its employees (No. 11) and on the share of the city government in the gross income of the operations of the BCDA within the zone (No. 10).
    On March 21, 2022,  the city council passed a resolution requesting President Rodrigo Duterte to veto the bill seeking to revise the charter of the City of Baguio. The bill, however, lapsed into law when Duterte let the 30 days pass without signing or vetoing it. 
    The city legislators called for the revision of the bill to address certain concerns which were previously raised during the previous council sessions. They argued that the bill should be vetoed to give time for further study and to address these concerns. 
    Earlier, the city council gave recommendations for the revision of certain provisions of the bill. But several council members asserted these recommendations were ignored. One of the recommendations given was the inclusion of a provision containing the 19 conditionalities.
    During the meeting with the city council earlier that day (May 21), Go said separate legislations may be crafted or future actions may be undertaken to address some of these concerns raised by the councilors.