City officials recently requested the City Legal Office to determine if there is a legal basis for the collection of environmental use of area (EUA) fees from all stationary vendors at Wright Park, Burnham Park, People’s Park, Bayan Park, Botanical Garden, Mines View Park and its vicinity as stipulated in Joint Resolution No. 02, series of 2015 of the Baguio City Market Authority (BCMA) and the Baguio City Parks Management Committee (BCPMC).
Under Resolution No. 233, series of 2024, local legislators stated that on January 10, 2024, registered vendor-members of the Wright Park Vendors Association received a first demand notice issued by City Treasurer Alex Cabarrubias reflecting the amount due from January 2018 to November 2023 and payable within five working days from receipt.
For the period covered, each member shall pay an average of PhP244,804.00 to a high as PhP367,311.00.
The council directed the City Treasurer to hold in abeyance any action on the said matter until the issue is finally resolved considering that there was no confirmation of the local legislative body on the said joint resolution nor a legal basis for the collection of said environmental use of area fees.
Earlier, Joint Resolution No. 02, series of 2015 of the BCMA and BCPMC promulgated and resolved in a joint meeting on October 9, 2015 authorizes the collection of environmental fees for the use of area from stationary vendors at Wright Park, Burnham Park, People’s Park, Bayan Park, Botanical Garden, Mines View Park and its vicinity.
Further, the aforesaid resolution stated that the environmental use of area fees to be collected shall be computed at P1.75 per square meter per month and shall be effective on January 15, 2015 and was signed, among others, by former City Mayor and BCMA and BCPMC chair Mauricio G. Domogan on November 12, 2015 with a notation which stated that submit it to the city council for confirmation immediately.
On January 11, 2016, Cabarrubias forwarded to the city council BCMA and BCMPC Joint Resolution No. 1 which authorized the collection of parking fees at Wright Park parking area, lower and upper and parking building in Botanical Garden and Joint Resolution No. 02 that authorized the collection of environmental use of area fees from all stationary vendors at Wright Park, Burnham Park, People’s Park, Bayan Park, Botanical Garden, Mines View Park and its vicinity which was then referred to the Committee on Ways and means and Finance Cluster B on January 12, 2016.
Subsequently, it was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means and Finance Cluster D on July 4, 2019 for study, comments and recommendations in relation to the letter dated September 21, 2015 of former Mayor Domogan for the passage of a city ordinance for the collection of fees for environmental use of area from stationary vendors and stalls at various city-owned parks in the city. By Dexter A. See