BAGUIO City Mayor Mauricio Domogan said Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol decided to increase the portion of the 92-hectare Baguio Dairy Farm from five to eight hectares that will be ceded to the local government through a deed of usufruct which will be signed by both parties.

The local chief executive said the draft of the amended deed of usufruct containing the increase in the land area that will be ceded to the local government was already transmitted to the office of Secretary Piñol for review before the signing of the documents will be scheduled.

“We are still awaiting the final word from the office of Secretary Piñol on when will be the scheduled signing of the deed of usufruct for us to proceed with our plans on the proper utilization of the portion of the property that will be ceded to the city. We are really in dire need of land that will cater to the growing need of the local government for spaces to spread out existing government facilities among others,” Domogan said.

Earlier, Piñol committed to Domogan the agriculture department is willing to cede to the local government some 5 hectares within the 92-hectare Baguio Dairy Farm property that will include the 5,000-square meter area occupied by the city’s temporary waste transfer station that could be used for its expansion projects among other necessary public needs to help decongtest the central business district.

Domogan added portions of the ceded property will be used for the establishment of a central bus terminal for south-bound buses that will result to the transfer of the bus terminal from the Gov. Pack road to the said area once the comprehensive master plan for the area will be completed when the deed of usufruct will be signed by both parties.

Previously, the local government had been eying the portion of the Baguio Dairy Farm as the potential site for the put up of a central terminal for south-bound buses that will allow the realization of the long overdue plan of the city to decongest the central business district from the huge volume of motor vehicles that contributes to the monstrous traffic jams in the area.

Domogan said that concerned offices of the local government will work on the comprehensive master development plan for the property. (PR)