BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance establishing more parking facilities, including multi-level parking structures, in various strategic sites in the city.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Leandro B. Yangot, Jr. identified the site for the former Baguio orchidarium beside the Baguio Athletic Bowl; Ganza parking area; front of Botanical Garden; Mines view Park; Pacdal or Gibraltar area; Rabbit sinkhole area and Sto. Niño or Slaughterhouse compound as the sites feasible to put up parking facilities, including multi-level parking structures.
Yangot pointed out the legislative measure shall be implemented by administration to be funded by the local government and by way of public-private partnership at the option of the city.
He added one of the major problems besetting the city in this modern day era is the worsening traffic problems along major roads aggravated by the absence of sufficient parking spaces around the city to accommodate the increasing number of motor vehicles.
AS the country’s Summer Capital, the ordinance pointed out the local government usually plays host to numerous activities aimed at boosting the tourism and economic industries but while the said activities contribute in efforts to attract the influx of local and foreign tourists to come to the city, together with their cars, they inevitably cause traffic woes and much inconvenience notwithstanding the lost economic opportunities and gains in business, trade and commerce.
In order to help resolve or ease the burgeoning traffic malaise, Yangot underscored the urgent need to put up more parking facilities in various strategic sites in the city to help contribute in addressing the worsening traffic woes around the city primarily caused by the continuous increase in the number of motor vehicles not only by residents and also visitors.
Section 16 of Republic Act (RA) 7160 otherwise known as the Local government Code of 1991 states that every local government shall exercise the powers expressly granted, those necessarily implied therefrom, as well as powers necessarily, appropriate or incidental for its efficient and effective governance, and those which are essential to the promotion of the general welfare.
Further, the legislative body of the city shall enact ordinances, approved resolutions and appropriate funds for the general welfare of the city and its inhabitants pursuant to the aforesaid provision of the Local Government code and in the proper exercise of the corporate powers of the city as provided for under Section 22 of the same law.
Yangot emphasized concerned stakeholders must start getting their acts together in the formulation of the short- medium and long-term solutions to the worsening traffic woes around the city considering that the city’s traffic situation will worsen once there will be no concrete plans that will be put in place by the concerned offices of the local government.
By Dexter A. See
