During the Baguio City Council’s regular session on January 12, 2026, City Treasurer Alex Cabarrubias said that under the current setup, the city could generate about P6 million per month in gross collections from parking fees and rentals paid by leaseholders at the Maharlika Livelihood Complex (MLC).
When annualized, this translates to around P72 million in gross revenue per year, a dramatic increase compared to the P500,000.00 annual rental fee previously remitted by the Human Settlements Development Corporation (HSDC) to the city government.
The city treasurer noted that under the city government’s management, rent collection started on June 20, 2025, covering six months of collections up to the current date, further mentioning that P2.5 million from the P6 million monthly collections is utilized for operational and upkeep expenses. The remaining net income goes to the MLC Special Fund.
Cabarrubias said the actual gross collections from June to present from rentals is P59,448,865.00 which includes the leaseholders’ one-month advance payment and two-month deposit. Meanwhile, collections from parking fees now total P7,151,438.00, averaging P30,000.00 per day.
He also explained that the city likewise earns from business taxes and permit fees but they go to the general fund and not directly earmarked exclusively for MLC.
Meanwhile, Atty. Leticia Clemente, City Budget Officer and Chairperson of the MLC Transition Coordinating Committee, said the facility should be treated as a separate local economic enterprise similar to the Center Mall.
To institutionalize this approach, the city’s executives are looking forward to the enactment of an ordinance establishing the MLC as an economic enterprise of the city government. The proposed measure seeks to place the facility under a defined governance and management structure to ensure sustainability, transparency, and accountability in its operations.
Under the proposed ordinance introduced by Councilor Jose molintas, a Board of Directors will be created to oversee the MLC, to be chaired by the City Mayor and composed of the City Vice Mayor, City Treasurer, a representative from the Baguio City Council, representatives from different sectors of the local business community, and a representative from the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The measure also provides for the appointment of a General Manager who will handle the day-to-day operations of the complex, implement board-approved policies, and submit periodic performance and financial reports.
An Oversight Committee composed of Baguio City Council members and representatives from the City Planning Development and Sustainability Office (CPDSO) and the DA will likewise be created to ensure compliance with policies and provide independent monitoring of operations.
In terms of revenue management, the ordinance mandates that rentals, parking fees, and other income generated by the MLC be deposited into a special fund exclusively for the facility. This fund will be used solely for salaries, operations, maintenance, and other expenses directly related to the MLC, with all transactions subject to regular audit.
The proposed ordinance is pending before the Baguio City Council’s Committee on Laws and Governance for review. **Jordan G. Habbiling
