Mayor nods segregation survey

MAYOR Mauricio Domogan recently gave his go signal to the relocation, structure and utility survey of the 13 barangays inside the Camp John Hay reservation.

But this doesn’t mean he is agreeing to the segregation process proposed by the Bases Conversion Development Authority through its estate manager the John Hay Management Corporation.

Domogan told reporters barangays must push through with the survey offered by BCDA and JHMC but stressed this should not be the basis for the segregation.

The mayor said he will talk to barangay leaders, find out what their plans are and bring to their attention the stand of the city government in the 14th conditionality or the segregation of barangays.

He said the city and BCDA-JHMC still cannot agree on the segregation of occupied and unoccupied areas in the barangays as well as on the issuance of business permits for locators inside Camp John Hay which is still pending decision from the Supreme Court.

He maintained locators inside Camp John Hay must get permit from and pay taxes to the city government. This stand of the city government, he said, was also sustained by the Regional Trial Court and is now pending appeal in the higher court.

He also stressed the city’s stand on the building official’s capacity to issue occupancy and building permits to Camp John Hay locators.

The mayor also reiterated the stand of the city on vacant or generated lots to be identified during the survey.

After separating the barangays from the Camp John Hay reservation, he said an agreement must be penned on how it can be awarded to those who are qualified to avail of these generated lots and not those favored by the BCDA and JHMC.

He said the generated lots should first prioritize the actual occupants while second priority is permanent Baguio and barangay residents renting out but not landowners.

If there are excess in vacant lots, he said this could be given to other residents of the city who can apply for these lots.

He stressed these interested land owners should give reasonable consideration that they will pay the city government and not BCDA as this will be a violation of Condition No. 14 drafted by then the City Council members prior to the handing over of the former American military facility to the BCDA.

He also opened up the possibility of awarding generated lots to JHMC-favored people or groups.

The mayor added they will have to set another time to dialogue with BCDA and JHMC officials to smoothen the processes needed to be done before segregation of the 13 villages would take place.