BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan reported the local government will embark on a 5-point development thrust next year to help sustain the robust growth it achieved over the past several years to make Baguio city a premier trade, economic, tourism and commercial center north of Manila.
The local chief executive pointed out one of the major development aspects to be prioritized by the local government next year is the pursuit of the development of the 139-hectare city-owned Sto. Tomas multi-use land area to accommodate the construction of the Baguio city Jail facility, socialized housing and extension of the already overcrowded Baguio cemetery.
Further, he added the local government is also inclined in pursuing the development of a portion of the city-owned property in Sto. Tomas or the Antamok open pit for the establishment of the city’s proposed integrated solid waste facility or the put up of an engineered sanitary landfill and environmentally-acceptable technologies to put an end to the garbage disposal woes of the city besetting the city for over a decade now.
Earlier, the local government acquired a huge portion of the property through a deed of donation from the de Guia family that allowed the area to expand to 139 hectares which could be maximized for public use.
In terms of liquid waste, Domogan claimed the local government will focus on the implementation of the appropriate mechanisms for proper liquid waste management, particularly the upgrading of the existing Baguio sewerage treatment plant located in South Sanitary Camp, construction of a sewage septage treatment facility at Lower Rock Quarry, among other initiatives, to reduce the volume of untreated waste water being directly discharged to the major river systems around the city contributing to the proliferation of pollutants in the different bodies of water.
According to him, concerned government agencies and the local government will provide innovative and sustainable traffic and road management services, specifically the formulation of the comprehensive traffic and transportation management plan, construction of a multi-level parking facility at Kayang Street, particularly in Camp Henry T. Allen barangay compliant with the provisions of the National Building Code and the city’s existing zoning ordinance among others.
Domogan explained the need for an organization and management study, such as organizational set up and management systems, and barangay rationalization for the effective and efficient delivery of basic services to the people in the city’s 128 barangays.
Initially, the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) started the conduct of consultations among the city’s barangay officials to ascertain the acceptability of the proposed merger of the barangays to be able to achieve a reasonable number of barangays to allow for the proper delivery of services in the barangay level.
Domogan remains optimistic that the long standing proposal for the merger of the city’s barangays will be realized the soonest to improve the status of the city’s barangays and improve the delivery of services by the concerned barangay officials.
By Dexter A. See