BAGUIO City Vice Mayor Edison Bilog has recommended the closure of another carnival in Burnham Park, saying its operation, which is reportedly part of the city trade fair at Juan Luna Drive, was not approved by the City Council.
“I am against it. It (carnival rides) was not approved by the (City) Council; and bakit nila isasama sa trade fair ang operation niyan?” Bilog said.
Bilog clarified that only the trade fair at Juan Luna Drive, which aims to raise P2 million for the city’s drug rehabilitation program, was approved by the Council.
“Sa definition ng trade fair, wala do’n ang carnival and amusement rides, (so) dapat ipasara ito,” Bilog said.
“The City Council should act and make a drastic change on what is happening in the parks. It’s getting too commercialized,” the vice mayor said, adding that these carnivals take up space supposedly for park goers.
The trade fair is under the program of the Office of the City Social Welfare and Development Office (OCSWADO).
Two operators won the right to operate the trade fair for 30 days, bidding P4 million for the space and allotted another P150,000 for the park’s landscaping.
On Monday, City Environment and Parks Management Office (Cepmo) chief Cordelia Lacsamana, together with Park Evaluation Officer III Joseph Hermogeno, admitted she was not informed about the installation of second carnival inside Baguio’s largest park.
She said Cepmo was not included in the technical working group formed for the trade fair.
Lacsamana added that the only resolution for carnival operations furnished to her office were for the amusement rides, operated by Belazar Ola, at the Children’s Park.
City Mayor Mauricio Domogan earlier ordered Ola to stop operation pending submission of safety certificates from a private engineer as well as from the city engineering office.
Ola, however, defied the mayor’s order and continue to operate at the Children’s Park.