Domogan: There is need to rewrite Baguio City Charter

Congressional candidate Atty. Mauricio G. Domogan said there is a need to rewrite the Baguio City Charter due to provisions that are not beneficial and do not represent the true aspirations of the city’s residents.
Once elected into office, one of Domogan’s priorities is the amendment of Republic Act 111689 or “An Act Revising the Charter of the City of Baguio” which lapsed into law on April 11, 2022.
Among the provisions described as detrimental to Baguio include the absence of the technical description of the territorial jurisdiction of Baguio in the revised charter.
He said a provision that defines the metes and bounds of any local government unit is a must.
Domogan also pointed out the provision that requires that ordinances passed by the City Council should be subject for the review of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Benguet, demoting the status of Baguio from being a chartered city to a component city.
Another provision that Domogan wants to amend in the Baguio Charter is the Townsite Sales Application (TSA) as a mode of acquiring and disposing lands.
Instead of a TSA which requires the applicants to subject their application for a land title to public bidding, Domogan wants that the lands being applied for should be directly awarded to the actual occupants and/or qualified applicants.
Domogan also wants the provision that increased the land area of Camp John Hay (CJH) under the management of Bases Conversion and Development Authority deleted from the revised City Charter.
Domogan said the segregation of the 13 concerned barangays from the CJH reservation should already be included as a provision in the City Charter.
Domogan, who leads the New Timpuyog ti Baguio, has made the revision of the city charter part of his legislative agenda written in the social contract that Timpuyog signed as a symbol of commitment to their platforms once given the chance to serve Baguio’s constituents.**