THE people have spoken.
"We, the people of Baguio, want a city where residents' well-being is paramount, where governance, is built on genuine consultation with and active and continuous participation of the people," this was the cry of the different stakeholders of Baguio City in a people's summit held recently at the University of the Philippines Baguio.
In the summit, the people raised the different issues and evolving problems of the city in order to come up with a common goal, action and eventually achieve change for the city they love.
These issues were environmental degradation, poor urban management, waste management, air pollution, tourism and heritage obliteration, poor legislation and governance among others.
More than 500 people from the different sector attended the summit led by Baguio City Bishop Carlito Cenzon to discuss problems of the city and to look for possible remedies.
Aware of the changes in Baguio City due to the influx of immigrants and resulting in its urbanization and pressing problems of the once mountain paradise, Cenzon believes the solutions will have to come from the residents of the city.
Discussed in the summit was what Baguio City was years ago after the American settlement and how it has greatly changed into what it is right now.
After identifying the problems and other issues of the city, the people were clustered according to their fields of expertise or interest to confer what needs to be done.
Subsequently, the participants came up with a manifesto stating the Baguio they want as a jump-off point of the actions they will take as result of their discussions.
"We want a city where our duly-elected leaders have sustained engagement with the people and where that engagement results in the passing and implementation of laws and policies that will benefit the city," the manifesto read.
"We want a city where the people from all levels have strong community spirit and the ability to bring about change in our own neighborhoods," it added.
Moreover, the people also committed themselves to have active participation in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects, programs and policies in the city.
Most importantly, the stakeholders committed to unify their efforts and advocacies towards the protection, preservation and the development of the city in the Baguio they want.
The participants hope their voices will be heard so they could also partake in the management of the city.
And through this, they are hopeful that Baguio will somehow improve and be turned into what it used be.
Meanwhile, Mayor Mauricio Domogan was please to know that the people of Baguio City, particularly those in the private sector are involving themselves into such activity.
"It's a welcome development that private individuals are involving themselves in the issues and concerns in the city of Baguio," said Domogan in his weekly press forum.
Whatever issues have been discussed, the chief executive said he is more than willing to convene and dialogue with them for their concerns and suggestions to be heard.