The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, invited the officers and members of the Baguio Heritage Foundation to appear in the next regular session to shed light on their petition to the city government not to accept unsolicited proposals for the modernization of the public market and for the city to partner with market cooperative in modernizing the facility.
In a resolution, city councilors stated that in recognition of the principle that sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them and in aid of legislation, it is of utmost importance that the officers and members of the Baguio Heritage Foundation be invited to the next regular council session for them to voice out their views on the proposed market development and for city officials to listen to their alternative proposals on how to undertake the multi-billion market development project.
The council pointed out the proposed modernization of the public market affects all the constituents of the city with some agreeable to the implementation of the project while others think otherwise, one of which is the Baguio Heritage Foundation which submitted its petition to the city not to accept unsolicited proposals for the modernization of the market and for the city government to partner with the market cooperatives in the implementation of the project.
According to the council, the city has adopted a policy of full government support to be extended to the city’s partners in the arts, culture, creatives, and heritage conservation sectors, befitting the city’s being declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as the only Philippine city granted membership to the UN Creative Cities Network.
The council stipulated the city will maintain constant engagement and active involvement with the concerned sectors to encourage appropriate activities and other meaningful means to enliven the cultural scene and strengthen harmonizing efforts of varied indigenous and traditional cultural practices, as well as commit support for heritage sites preservation.
The council anchored its invitation to the pertinent provisions of the Constitution that guarantees that the Philippines is a democratic and Republican State where sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.
Further, the Constitution also assures that arts and letters shall enjoy the patronage of the State where it shall observe, promote, and popularize the nation’s historical and cultural heritage and resources, as well as artistic creations.
Members of the city’s Public-Private Partnership for the People (P4) Screening Committee voted to grant the Original Proponent Status (OPS) for the multi-billion market development project to Robinsons Land Corporation as part of the initial steps in selecting the possible developer of the city’s public market.
The Baguio Heritage Foundation posted an online petition calling on the city government not to accept unsolicited proposals for the market development project and called on the city to partner with the market cooperatives in the implementation of the aforesaid project.
By Dexter A. See
