BAGUIO City Mayor Mauricio Domogan announced that the audit report of this year’s Baguio Flower Festival will be released next week ahead of the launching of the 2019 festival next month.
The mayor said the detailed audit will be presented to the public in a bid for transparency, answering a clamor from the public as well as the city council.
Domogan said the audit release has been stalled because of the inability of the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Incorporated (BFFFI) to meet as a body due to a lack of quorum from the board of directors.
The chief executive said the release of the 2018 BFF audit will be in consonance with the launching of the 2019 festival as well as the announcement of the various working committees for the upcoming February event.
BFF executive committee chairman Councilor Elmer Datuin assured the detailed audit report of the Panagbenga Festival is in order and will be presented to the public.
Domogan earlier issued a new Administrative Order to set in place dealings of the festival mandating all finances to go through the city.
Domogan in a bid for transparency of funds also ordered the committees in the Baguio Blooms Exhibition and Exposition and the Session Road in Bloom will prepare the detailed accounting of the income and expenses covering the said activities within one month from the closing and submit it to the finance committee.
The new rules in the conduct of the festival was set in tone in a Commission on Audit report by Margie Bongait who recommended to formulate guidelines of funds and submission of financial statements for transparency and accountability; execute a MOA between the city and the BFFI which has to be confirmed by the local council for efficiency and effective operations.
Bongait also cited the collection of special fees during the festival done by the BFFI should have been done by the City Treasurer’s Office as mandated by the Local Government Code.