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Wednesday, January 08, 2003
Japanese claims authority to collect fee
By Cheryl G. Cruz
THE Japanese trader is authorized to collect fees from vendors interested to join the market encounter portion of the Panagbenga festivities next month.
This was the insistence of the Filipino partner of the Japanese trader who had a contract with the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation for the management of the market encounter trade fair.
The Filipino partner requested anonymity in a talk with Sun.Star regarding the contract with the foundation.
Sun.Star learned that the committee would also issue a formal statement anytime Wednesday to clear the name of the "Hiro" the Japanese trader with regards to the collection of fees, which Vice Mayor Betty Lourdes Tabanda tagged Monday as "illegal."
The Japanese trader himself admitted to Sun.Star Tuesday afternoon that he has indeed been collecting fees for those interested to participate in the trade fair, but he was authorized to do so by his partner, who was in-charge of the promotions arm of the flower festival and was eventually given the authority to manage the market encounter at Melvin Jones.
It was learned that the market encounter was initially scheduled for 48 days or from February 1 to March 20, 2003, but was reduced to only 30 days or from February 1 to March 2 as of Tuesday. Those interested to participate in the trade fair has to pay P500 per day.
He added that since their company is a Manila-based firm, he was asked by his partner to do the collection because his own business is just within the central business district and that it would be convenient for the vendors to just go there. "But I don't get any commission from this collection."
A copy of the supposed memorandum of agreement entered between Mayor Bernardo Vergara, representing the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, and a company called Kuryente Egrafix Advertising Incorporated (KGAI), which was briefly shown to Sun.Star, states the company's exclusive right to manage the trade fair, dubbed as "Arts and Crafts Festival" at Melvin Jones.
"Hiro" has been tapped by KGAI to supply the tents to be used during the trade fair. Hiro's partner, however, stressed that there was also an agreement between the two of them for the trader to be the one collecting the fees and that the Ways and Means Committee was informed of such.
In a telephone interview, Tabanda also insisted she was not aware of any MOA giving any private individual the right to collect fees for the trade fair.
"What was agreed Tuesday morning during the meeting was that the payment will (now) be made at City Hall but using the receipt of the BFF Foundation," she added.
Tabanda co-chairs this year's Panagbenga with Vergara after the John Hay Poro Point Development Corporation turned over the festival's operation to the city government last year.
She added that she even showed copies of the receipts issued to the vendors to the mayor and the members of the committee during the meeting but that they said nothing about it.
(January 8, 2003 issue)
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