Tenants in city-owned properties to a rental holiday

The Baguio City Council has approved on third and final reading the proposed ordinance seeking to grant a rental holiday on all establishments in the city owned or/controlled by the city and national governments during the community quarantine starting September 23, 2021.

    This shall apply to all corporations, real properties, commercial or industrial establishments, stalls, spaces, and units owned/controlled by the city and national governments covered by lease contracts or under a lessor-lessee relation that were not ordered closed but opted not to operate during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), General Community Quarantine (GCQ), or other similar situations starting September 23, 2021. 

    The rental holiday does not apply to lessees of Maharlika Livelihood Center, Baguio Center Mall, and “City Lights” since they operated during the community quarantine.

    The ordinance has specific provisions for stalls in the public market and in all city-owned parks. 

    Leaseholders of stalls within the city public market that continued to operate during the community quarantine shall settle their unpaid rentals. However, leaseholders of stalls that did not operate during this period shall not pay rentals. 

    All concessionaires at Burnham Park and Botanical Garden shall be exempted from paying their rentals during the ECQ/GCQ or during the period when their establishments were prevented by legal orders from business operation. The rental holiday shall also apply to pay toilet concessionaires as long as they did not operate during the said period as certified by the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO).

    For the implementation, the Local Finance Committee and CEPMO shall provide the names of all tenants  who may avail of the said rental holiday. The City Treasury Office shall make the necessary compliance report within a period of 30 days after the lifting of the ECQ/GCQ status.  Copies of the report shall be forwarded to the city council and the city mayor.

    Akin to the rental holiday ordinance passed in 2020, this ordinance shall provide relief to the residents in the business sector affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in line with the city’s objective which is “to heal as one.” 

    The ordinance has been transmitted to the City Mayor’s Office to be signed by the chief executive. -Jordan G. Habbiling