BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading that seeks to strengthen the guidelines in the implementation of the city’s Adopt- A- Park Program, providing the rules for the identification, maintenance, responsibilities and other details in the effective and efficient implementation of the project and providing incentives to participants to be done in a proper search competition.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Elaine D. Sembrano stated no organization, association, cooperative or corporation shall be allowed to adopt-a-park unless said organization, association, cooperative or corporation satisfies the rules wherein it must be duly registered with the appropriate government agency such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) or any other regulatory agency; accredited with the local government pursuant to the Local government code; has an established office in the city; majority of the officers, in the case of associations, organizations or cooperatives and in the case of corporations, their duly authorized representatives, are duly registered residents of the city as supported by the submission of a duly notarized list of the current officers and at least 2 years of operation in the city.
The ordinance outlined among the requirements for organizations, associations, cooperatives and corporations to qualify for the program, the said groups must submit a letter of intent with the certified photo coy of the certificate of registration, photo copy of the constitution and by laws, latest audited financial statement, list of members and officers, Board of Trustees or Board of Directors resolution on the intent to take part in the Adopt A Park Program of the city and authorizing or designating certain officers as the duly authorized representatives, membership to local government unit special bodies, list of related civic projects undertaken and awards.
The ordinance cited all applications shall be forwarded to the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) wherein the said office shall evaluate the said application and if found to be in complaint to the prescribed qualifications and requirements, the same shall be endorsed to the City Council for approval. The SP approval shall include an authority for the local chief executive to sign for and on behalf of the local government the Adopt- A- Park agreement.
Under the proposed amendatory ordinance, the Adopt A Park agreement shall be valid for a period of 3 years renewable for another term unless earlier cancelled for due cause and there shall be no limit on the renewal of the agreement, provided, that no park adopter found to be remised of their obligation or whose agreement is revoked for just caused shall be renewed or allowed to re-apply.
The ordinance stipulated no vertical structure such as shed, kiosk, shaded walkway, market, totem, icon and the like shall be constructed within the park while benches and concrete slabs as stair rung may be constructed, provided, that the same pare part of a landscape.
By Dexter A. See
