BAGUIO CITY – The City Treasury Office reported it generated some P2.6 million from the collection of entrance fees in three major parks frequented by residents and visitors in the city to improve the city government’s financial standing and maximize the generation of income from potential sources.
City Treasurer Alex Cabarrubias said that since the city government started collecting entrance fees at the Dominican Hill and Nature Park, Botanical Garden and Mines View Park last month, the city government earned some P2.6 million from the said entrance fees.
Earlier, the city government started collecting entrance fees from the city’s major parks as part of its efforts in generating added revenues and maximizing the potentials of the parks to infuse added resources to the city.
Based on the report of Cabarrubias, entrance fees at the Dominican Hill and Nature Park reached over P1.1 million, fees collected at the Botanical Garden amounted to over P739,000 while those at the Mines View Park amounted to more than P661,000.
The city treasurer reported the collection of entrance fees in the city’s parks will definitely help in attaining the city government’s goal collecting some P300 million in additional income for the city this year considering the continuous influx of visitors to the different tourist destinations.
He expressed optimism there will be a continuous influx of residents and visitors to the city’s major parks so that the city government can collect a substantial income while awaiting the enactment of pending legislations on the institutionalized collection of environmental fees or environmental users charge.
According to him, the general entrance fees in the said parks is P10 for adults while students, senior citizens and persons with disabilities are charged P5 upon entry.
He stated the city government will ensure the sustained aggressive collection of entrance fees in the different tourist destinations in the city considering its expected enormous contributions in the revenue generation efforts for the city treasury office to attain its income collection target for this year and the coming years.
The city government department head said that the city treasury office will remain steadfast in making sure the city can generate sufficient resources from potential income sources to attain its huge income collection target imposed upon the office by the present administration.
The collection of entrance fees in the city’s major parks is a collective effort of personnel of the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) and the City Treasury Office as part of the initiative of the city government to maximize the income-generating potentials of public facilities for the city to have some funds to fund the operation, administration and maintenance of the same for the benefit of its sustained upkeep.
By Dexter A. See