City officials are pushing for the conduct of an inquiry on the presence and continuous increase in the structures along Kennon Road which needs urgent attention from concerned government agencies to prevent further encroachment.
In a resolution authored by Councilor Fred Bagbagen, local legislators stated that to address this matter and in aid of legislation, the Department of Public Works and Highways–Baguio City District Engineering Office (DPWH-BCDEO), City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO), Department of Tourism (DOT), and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) should be invited in the upcoming meetings to discuss issues and concerns related to the matter.
Further, considering its value as a heritage site, it is the consensus of the body to call the immediate attention of the concerned government agencies and some local government offices which are the proper bodies to regulate the existence of the structures along the stretch of Kennon Road within the jurisdiction of the city.
At present, Baguio City is one of the major tourist destinations north of Manila is now open for tourists and one of the accesses to the country’s Summer Capital is Kennon Road.
The council noted that it has been observed by many tourists who posted in social media the presence of the structures built along the stretch of Kennon Road which has become an eye sore and can even cause accidents to motorists and even depriving spaces meant for footways.
Earlier, the city government adopted resolution No. 112, series of 2003, Resolution No. 197, series of 2007, and Resolution No. 022, series of 2008, which need to be reiterated and specify specific actions to be taken by the concerned government agencies to prevent the further increase of structures along the scenic zigzag road.