City council approves Botanical entrance fees

By Jordan G. Habbiling

BAGUIO CITY -- The City Council, on Dec. 12 passed on third and final reading the ordinance increasing entrance fees here at the Baguio Botanical Garden.
    The ordinance will be implemented upon the approval of Mayor Benjamin Magalong.
    The ordinance is being prepared for its transmission to the City Mayor’s Office for the chief executive’s signature. 
    Under the ordinance, the entrance fees would be as follows: 
    P100 for all tourists aged 13 and above;  P25 for tourists 12 years old and below, 20% discount would be given to senior citizens and PWDs who are tourists, P50.00 for adult Baguio residents; P25 for Baguio children and students aged 13 and older; free of charge for Baguio children and students who are 12 years of age and below and P25 for Baguio senior citizens and PWDs.
    Currently, the entrance fee for adults is P10 while the entrance fee for children is P5 as per section 31-C of the Environment Code of Baguio City (Ordinance 18-2016).
    The recently approved ordinance is an amendment to this provision of the Environment Code. 
    The proposal to increase fees came from City Environment and Parks Management Officer Rhenan Diwas and later adapted into a proposed ordinance by the city council but with some changes made in the original proposal.
    The term “entrance fee” would be changed to “environment fee” since a portion of the collection would be spent for the upkeep and improvement of all the other parks maintained by the city government. A trust fund would be set up for this purpose.
    During the discussion last December 5, the city council urged the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) to conduct a feasibility study which includes a cost-benefit analysis to objectively determine the equitable environment fee for each group.
    Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda said the approved fees may be amended later based on the results of the study.
    According to CEPMO Chief Rhenan Diwas, there is a need to increase the fees urgently in order to keep up with the ballooning operational cost of the park. 
    He said total expenses reached P38 million as of October 2022 which the current entrance fees pegged at P10 and P5 could not sustain.
    Water and electric bills had also drastically increased by more than 50%, Diwas added.
    He said the current Christmas-themed attraction at the Botanical Garden is the first phase of a year-round plan.
    The second phase would be in line with the celebration of Panagbenga or the Flower Festival.
    The third phase would be themed after the Saleng Festival.
    He said these added attractions at the park would somehow justify the increase in the fees. 
    Meanwhile, Councilor Levy Lloyd Orcales urged Diwas to consider the concept of “willingness to pay” in the conduct of the feasibility study.
    Willingness to pay is an economic concept where the maximum price that people are willing to pay for a product or service is determined.
    The city council also took note of the letter of Mayor Benjamin Magalong reiterating “urgency” to increase said fees to “make both ends meet with meager resources in terms of manpower and operating expenses.”
    Magalong said with increase of fees, the city would be able to augment its current manpower for the maintenance and improvement of the garden; procure more gardening tools, supplies and equipment; and afford adequate janitorial and security services.