City officials requested the Tourism and Special Events Division of the City Administrator’s Office to submit to the city legislative body a status report on the Baguio Convention and Visitors Bureau (BCVB) contract and copies of contracts entered into with existing tenants of the Baguio convention center, including with One Family Mart.
Under Resolution No. 195, series of 2023, the Committee on Laws, Human rights and Justice, in its 5th endorsement dated March 14, 2023, recommended to note the earlier letter of the Cordillera office of the Commission on Audit (COA-CAR) on certain management observations and recommendations to be attended to by the concerned offices.
However, taking note of subsequent annual reports on the matters, particularly for the years 2020 and 2021, there is a need to clear that the council action on the matters are dependent on the implementation or action taken by the executive on the observation and recommendations.
The committee added that in fact, it may not even be proper to expect the council to act on a contract or Moa that was not presented to it or on one that has no confirmation or authorization.
For the said purpose, the committee recommended that the Tourism and Special Events Division of the City Administrator’s Office submit to the body a status report on the BCVB contract and copies of contracts entered into with existing tenants of the Baguio Convention Center, including with one family Mart.
Earlier, in her letter dated June 30, 2020, Atty. Eden D. Tingson-Rafanan, regional director of the cordillera office of the Commission on Audit (COA-CAR), transmitted the annual audit report on the local government for 2019 with various findings and recommendations.
Among the findings and recommendations include the validity and accuracy of adjustments made in the amount of P148,067,240.00 to the Land Bank account under the PPE cannot be established due to non-submission of relevant supporting documents thereby precluding complete validation, verification of the pertinent accounts contrary to the provisions of COA Circular No. 2010-001; the completion of the project ‘reforestation/urban greening project, access road opening and construction at Botanical Garden otherwise known as establishment of Baguio City arboretum phase 2’ with a contract cost of P12,292,367.92 is delayed with the contractor incurring a significant negative slippage of 48.82 percent as of December 31, 2019 depriving the constituents of the timely use of the facility; out of 534 remaining local development projects from 2008-2019, only 12.36 percent or 66 projects were reported as completed as of December 31, 2019 while the rest remain unimplemented defeating the purpose for which the fund was created as prescribed under the DILG and DBM Joint Memorandum circular (JMC) No. 2017-1 dated February 22, 2017; the programs, projects and activities indicated in the city’s report on the utilization of local risk reduction and management fund programs, plans and activities, disclosed 64 activities of which 24 activities or 37.50 percent was fully implemented at year end for various reasons, thus, the goals and objectives of the LDRRMP were not fully attained; collection of market stall rentals was not efficient resulting to delinquency of payments ranging from 3 months to 17 years totaling P966,613.00 contrary to the provisions of City Tax Ordinance No. 2000-001 and final and executory audit disallowances and audit charges amounting to P522,792.81 and P3,479,925.30, respectively, remained unsettled as of December 31, 2019 contrary to the provisions of COA Circular No. 2009-006 dated September 15, 2009. By
