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Monday, March 13, 2006
Panagbenga 2006 trade fairs 'illegal': councilor
By Ernie N. Olson Jr.
BAGUIO City Councilor Perlita Chan-Rondez said Sunday the trade fairs conducted by both the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation (BFFF) and the Panagbenga Ad Hoc Management Committee were done "illegally" or "in violation of the existing Trade Fair Ordinance and Tax Ordinance of the city."
Rondez said although the trade fairs set up along Session Road and in Camp John Hay (CJH) were arranged in terms of physical layout, the People's Park "was littered with many stalls (and was) practically converted into an extension of Session Road in Bloom."
She said: "The lawns and greeneries (near the Melvin Jones Grandstand) have been badly damaged by the heavy pedestrian traffic and by the pitching of tents used for the stalls."
Rondez also disclosed that most of the stalls along Session Road, the People's Park and near Melvin Jones sold "Divisoria or 168 products" which were reportedly smuggled from China, sold so cheaply, but allegedly of questionable quality. "Last December 2005, I personally shopped at 168 Mall in Divisoria, which is why I recognize many of the items sold there," she said.
She said the sale of the items was in violation of the city's Trade Fair Ordinance because Section 2 of the measure provides that only allowed are trade fairs that promote "crafts and agri-products locally produced in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and those that enhance tourism and livelihood opportunities for local manufacturers."
"Many items were sold along sidewalks, such as imitation brand names, imported (smuggled?) goods in contravention of Section 4 of the Trade Fair Ordinance," she added.
Rondez also pointed out that organizers of both trade fairs operated illegally since they did not secure the approval of the City Council before conducting the endeavors, as stated in Section 10 of the same ordinance.
She said as per Section 12, trade fairs are also not allowed within Baguio during the months of January, February, June, July, August and December. "Therefore, the trade fair at the Melvin Jones Grandstand, which started in February 2006, is illegal. The trade fair along Session Road and the People's Park, insofar as February 27 and 28 are concerned, are likewise illegal," she said.
The councilor said the same provision was also not followed at the CJH because the trade fair there started in February. The market encounter or trade fair at the CJH "likewise does not have the approval" of the City Council in contravention to Section 13 of Tax Ordinance 2000-001 and Sections 9 and 10 of the trade fair ordinance. "The Tax Ordinance does not make a distinction on the applicability of its provisions as to public or private property," she said.
In trade fairs set up for the Panagbenga this year, she said no business permits or any evidence of payment of business permits and fees to the City Government were visibly displayed, in violation of Sections 9 and 10 of the ordinance.
(March 13, 2006 issue)
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