TUBA, Benguet – Mayor Ignacio Rivera expressed his sincerest gratitude to Baguio city Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan for endorsing the request of the local government for the segregation of some 5,000 square meters from the 92-hecctare Baguio Dairy Farm for the expansion of its government facilities and water supply system.
Rivera secured an endorsement from Mayor Dotmogan supporting the request of the municipal government addressed to agriculture secretary Emmanuel Piñol for the segregation of some 5, 000 square meters from the agency’s property within the Baguio Dairy Farm that could be used for public needs of the municipality.
However, it was specified in Domogan’s endorsement that the portion of the property that will be given to Tuba in case Secretary Piñol will find merit to the town’s request will be situated within the vicinity of the 5-hectare portion that will be given to the Baguio city government through a deed of usufruct.
“We really need to expand our government facilities along Marcos highway to provide our constituents the ease of transacting business with the different offices of the local government that is why we wanted to have portion of the Baguio dairy farm for our public needs,” Mayor Rivera stressed.
Domogan explained that if Benguet officials also want to request the agriculture department for a similar arrangement with what has been done with Baguio city, then they must make a separate request for the Secretary to study but the area to be requested should already be outside the 5-hectare property that was promised to be turned over to the city government and the 5,000-square meter area being eyed by the Tuba municipal government for their pubic needs.
According to him, he will also endorse the request of Benguet provincial officials if the provincial government is interested to have a portion of the Baguio Dairy farm for its public needs considering that the property of the agriculture department is located within Baguio and Benguet.
The 92-hectare Baguio Dairy farm is owned and managed by the agriculture department primarily for the improved production of dairy products in the region and for the proper breeding of animals for dispersal to farmers needing the said animals for their source of livelihood.
The property has been the subject of controversy in the past because of the proliferation of alleged informal settlers that intruded into most potions of the government land which resulted to a long-standing legal battle that eventually ended up in the illegal structures being demolished by the concerned government agencies and the local government.
Baguio City intends to use the 5-hectare area that will be turned over to the local government for the establishment of its long overdue centralized terminal for south-bounded buses, other government facilities needed by the people and for other public needs that may rise in the future while Tuba intends to use the smaller area for the expansion of its government facilities along the main highway and for the establishment of its water system project that will benefit thousands of residents within the town proper.
The survey for the 5-hectare portion of the property that will be turned over to the city was already completed and the pertinent documents are to be submitted to the Secretary for review and assessment before the same will be finalized. By Dexter A. See