Councilor Paolo Raynor Salvosa has proposed an ordinance temporarily waiving fees for building, business, and related permits for residents in 13 barangays within the Camp John Hay Reservation to ease the financial burden of duplicate charges while awaiting the resolution of barangay segregation and compliance with 19 conditionalities set for the area.
The 13 barangays are Camp 7, Country Club Village, Greenwater, Happy Hallow, Hillside, Apugan-Loakan, Loakan-Liwanag, Loakan Proper, Lower Dagsian, Lucnab, Sta. Escolastica Village, Scout Barrio, and Upper Dagsian.
Once the ordinance is enacted, these barangays will be temporarily exempted from paying fees for building permits, occupancy permits, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits, business permits, and other related permits determined by the City Building Official or City Treasurer’s Office. While fees are waived, residents are still required to secure the necessary permits to ensure public safety and proper monitoring of urban development.
The waiver will remain in effect until the unresolved issue of barangay segregation within the Camp John Hay reservation is resolved, or until duplicate fee charges are fully addressed, whichever occurs first. The City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO), City Treasurer’s Office (CTO), and City Planning Development and Sustainability Office (CPDSO) are tasked to update their guidelines, maintain records of all applications processed under the waiver, and submit reports to the Baguio City Council within 30 days of the effectivity of the ordinance.
To monitor compliance and oversee progress, the City Mayor will designate a task force composed of representatives from the CBAO, CTO, City Legal Office, and the city council. This task force will submit quarterly reports on the number of permits processed, estimated revenue foregone, and updates on the barangay segregation issue and compliance with the 19 conditionalities.
City officials or employees who violate the ordinance, including unauthorized collection of fees or failure to implement the waiver, will face administrative sanctions under the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (RA 6713) and other applicable laws.
The proposed ordinance has been approved on first reading by the city council and referred to the Committee on Appropriations and Finance Cluster B for review. **Jordan G. Habbiling
