Mayor Benjamin Magalong named projects lined up for this year designed to rev up the city’s economic recovery and arrest social problems contributing to urban decay.
He said they have listed a total of 31 projects and 12 of which are considered as catalytic projects that have significant impact on the environment, economy, services, employment, social and health needs of the populace.
He said the projects are expected to create around 4,000 employment opportunities and most are income-generating expected to shore up the city’s economy from the pandemic-induced slump.
Among the projects are:
*Market development which he said will continue to be pursued
*Intermodal transport terminal which is one of the catalytic projects to address traffic, high carbon emission and mobility concerns
*Slaughterhouse modernization with cold storage facility of triple A standard
*Multi-level parking and commercial building at the Baguio Fire Station site to fix parking problem at City Hall
*Continuation of parks development. Bayan Park rehabilitation has started and next will be the rehabilitation of Aguinaldo Park at Salud Mitra, implementation of the second phase of arboretum and implementation of the P109 million Wright Park development
*Satellite market at Gibraltar worth P65 million to be implemented this year with relocation site
*Continuation of the barangay hall improvement projects
*Construction of super health centers. Out of 16 district health centers, 10 are already Philhealth-accredited. Inspections are continuing to determine needs to make them primary health care facilitites and to convert the rest as Konsulta package providers
*Continuation of the youth convergence and indoor sports complex amounting to P380million
*P30 million athletes’ quarters has started
*Groundbreaking of the underground parking at the athletic complex will happen soon
*Tennis court rehabilitation
*Sidewalk rehabilitation projects to continue this time to cover 24 kilometers
*Satellite market modernization projects ongoing. One project will soon be completed.
*More road widening projects in coordination with the Dept. of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
*Liveable communities to start in Happy Hallow barangay
*Traffic control system costing P119 million with DPWH
*Smart mobility transportation system, a public-private partnership undertaking. Feasibility study is ongoing
*Evaluation of unsolicited proposals received for monorail system
*Water system which is part of the bulk water project intended to produce recycled sewer water with a target of 10 million liters a day
*Waste-to-energy project. The city will start evaluating a proposal along with back-up technology refuse-derived fuel (RDF) technology to lower garbage produce (possibly reduce wastes being hauled out from 200 tons a day to 60 tons a day)
*Phases 2 and 3 of eco-park for implementation this year
*Digital transformation center project costing P890 million is set for implementation this year. Review of design is ongoing under a design and build mode in collaboration with the Dept. of Information Communication Technology (DICT)
*Project Lightning to increase bandwidth from 100 mbps to 1-4 gig ongoing
*Segregation of barangays from Camp John Hay to start this year with four barangays Country Club, Upper Dagsian Greenwater and Sta. Escolastica and other barangays to follow. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
MAGALONG TO ADDRESS URBAN DECAY
13 May 2022 – After receiving a fresh mandate as the city’s Chief Executive, Mayor Benjamin Magalong said that preventing ‘urban decay’ from taking root in the Summer Capital continues to be one of the challenges that will be addressed by his administration.
In Wednesday’s media forum at City Hall, he said that based on a 2019 study of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), this problem could occur if the city government does not take steps in formulating viable solutions with the entire community’s support and cooperation.
Urban decay is a process in which a previously functioning city, or city area, falls into disrepair and disuse whose common indications are abandoned buildings and empty plots, high unemployment levels, high crime rates, and an urban landscape that is generally decrepit and desolate.
The Mayor assured that for the past two years and 10 months, the city government has been planning and coming up with well thought out and strategic solutions for problems like urban decay that include the implementation this year of 31 projects with almost a dozen he described as ‘catalytic’.
Magalong said these projects will have a significant impact on the environment and provide barangay officials and residents whatever resources they need to plan out and create ‘livable communities’.
This means that they will be given the task to plan out their roads, pathways, drainage and sanitation systems, open spaces for parks and recreational facilities, and more in their respective communities, he explained.
“Challenging but it is about time that we give this responsibility to them,” the Mayor said.-Gaby B. Keith
APPROVED BAGUIO CHARTER SHOULD BE SUPPORTED — MAYOR
13 May 2022 – Re-elected Mayor Benjamin Magalong said that the Summer Capital’s officials and residents should be in full support of the Baguio City Charter that was recently approved into law by outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte.
He stressed that although no charter or system is perfect, this year’s Charter as compared to the 1909 original, is more responsive to the need and call of the times.
“Since the charter is already a law, we should all might as well give it our full support. Besides, it is already a law,” the Mayor said.
He is advising those opposing the approved charter to also try opening their eyes and instead help in fixing it via an Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) that is currently being studied by city managers on whether it is needed.
“It is through the IRR that we can cure whatever we believe that the Charter is lacking or need to be corrected,” the Mayor explained.-Gaby B. Keith
