BAGUIO City Mayor Mauricio Domogan is eying to use the Benguet-Ifugao-Bontoc-Apayao-Kalinga (Bibak) compound for a temporary parking facility.
Domogan said a letter of request was forwarded to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to use the lot in the meantime since a master development plan is yet to be crafted for its development.
The chief executive said expenses for the construction for the proposed temporary single level parking space will be shouldered by the city as well as its maintenance.
Domogan said the city engineering office is tasked to make the parking plan for the area once the request is approved by the DENR.
The mayor stressed the parking facility is temporary and will give way to master development plans the technical working group will craft for the space.
Since its demolition, the Bibak compound remains empty, measuring 5,000 square meters, under Title OCT No.1 owned by the government since the 1960's.
The Bibak building which used to house the Cordillera Regional Assembly, is set to be fully rehabilitated and is eyed for cultural purposes. In previous years, the Bibak area was used by the illegal settlers, with some persons reported to have two houses, while others set their houses for rent while some had their spaces extended.
The city is working with the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples as well as the DENR for the rehabilitation of the compound with pooled funding from the three entities once its master development plan is finished.
Domogan said the technical working group is still crafting a master development plan for the space which is momentarily being used as sleeping quarters by a security group.
It took decades for the City to clean the compound of structures converted into illegal business establishments with the demolition endorsed by the Regional Development Council and DENR–Cordillera.