BAGUIO CITY – Concerned sectors, government agency representatives and barangay officials agreed to conduct another round of consultations in Hillside to raise public awareness on the planned implementation of the 4-storey 8-classroom building of the Baguio City National High School (BCNHS) Hillside Annex in their place.
The implementation of the multi-million project under the Cordillera office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-CAR) was questioned by a number of senior citizens residing near the project site because it was allegedly done without the required consultations and information dissemination regarding the scope of work among other project details.
However, DPWH-CAR representatives, school officials, barangay officials and some senior citizens refuted the allegations of their fellow residents in the area, saying there was a consultation earlier conducted in the barangay hall regarding the project but those who were against the project never attended the said consultation but they agreed to again conduct another round of consultation in the barangay provided that those who are against the project will appear and air their sentiments for it to be addressed by the implementing agency and the contractor.
The 4-storey 8-classroom BCNHS Hillside Annex will be erected over a 1,500-square meter titled property of the State-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) which was the subject of a deed of usufruct between the BCDA and the education department.
The grotto which is a project of the Hillside Senior Citizens Association, that will be affected by the construction of the said structure will be relocated to a portion of the place at the expense of the government through the variation order of the project plans and specifications, thus, there is no truth to the allegations of some members of the group that the project will result to the eventual destruction of the said structure.
The construction of the additional building for the BCNHS Hillside Annex will serve as an added structure to accommodate the increasing number of enrolees from the neighboring barangays and decongest existing classrooms.
The concerned sectors, government representatives, barangay officials of Hillside and some officers of the senior citizens group appeared before the regular session of the local legislative body where the aforesaid issues and concerns were tackled by the local legislators and it was agreed that another round of consultations be done at the barangay level for the matters to clear up issues as the oppositors to the project were satisfied upon listening to the clarifications done by government officials regarding the state of the project.
The BCDA identified the area within its property where the structure will be built it being the State corporation which manages and administers the affairs of the areas previously under the jurisdiction of former American military bases in the country.
By Dexter A. See
