BAGUIO City will finally bid out the operation of the skating rink at Burnham Park.
Mayor Mauricio Domogan last Monday, December 10 formed a special committee to administer the bidding process for the lease and operation of the facility.
City Administrator Carlos Canilao will head the committee with officer-in-charge City Legal Officer Melchor Carlos Rabanes, City Human Resource Management officer Agustin Laban, City Treasurer Alex Cabarrubias, General Services officer Eugene Buyucan and City Environment and Parks Management officer Ruben Cervantes as members.
After the contract with the present concessionaire Quirante’s Fun Rides/Skates Rentals and Recreation Center expired in 2014, the skating facility has been managed by the same firm under a hold-over arrangement.
The committee will take charge of setting the terms of reference (TOR) to specify the parameters of the project.
In 2014, the mayor formed a technical working group headed by urban planner and former city architect Joseph Alabanza of the Baguio Heritage Committee and city building and architecture officer-in-charge Johnny Degay to draw up the master development plan for the facility as a guide in the formulation of the TOR.
Amid the call then to open the facility to the public, the mayor assured that in the drafting of the terms, the city will consider their clamor to shun commercialization and to improve public’s access to the facility in the light of the fact that the facility cannot be used for free being one of the few income generators where the city sources out funds for the maintenance of the park.
In his order, the mayor directed the committee to immediately convene to start the bidding process. (PR)