A GROUP of pastors and ministers in the City have submitted a manifesto in the City Council expressing their support to a proposed resolution introduced by City Councilors Benny Bomogao, Faustino Olowan and Michael Lawana, requesting for the construction of a podium car parking building at the Ganza parking area and at the old Baguio City Auditorium in Burnham Park.
In the manifesto signed by Mr. Godofredo Cawaing, et. al., it was explained that a podium-type car parking or multi-storey car parking is a building designed specifically for motor vehicle parking and consisting of several floors or levels on which parking takes place and is essentially an or interior stacked parking lot.
The manifesto of support also expressed the observation that there has been a steadily increasing number of tourists converging in the City, especially during holidays, long weekends and celebration of festivities and ceremonies such as the Panagbenga flower festival and the Philippine Military Academy graduation.
The manifesto likewise noted that with the development of the city as a center for education and business in the north, more and more people from different parts of the country are coming to the city either for education or for employment. As the influx of people increase, so with the volume of vehicles, causing heavy traffic congestion, which has sparked outrage from concerned citizens and affected the orderly conduct of commerce. And with the increase in the number of motor vehicles in the city, the problem of the lack of available parking spaces has become very evident, particularly along the Central Business District area and along major routes in the city leading to motor vehicle owners into parking along the side of the road which further led to clogging of the streets and thus exacerbating the traffic congestion situation.
The proposed resolution that is being supported by the said manifesto is asking the city for the construction of a podium car parking building at the Ganza parking area, at the former Pantranco site, and at the area of the City Library.
In further conversations with City Councilor Bomogao, chairman of the Committee on Public Utility, Transportation and Traffic Legislation, this writer learned that what is seriously being considered by his committee at the moment are the proposals for the putting up of a podium car parking building at the area where the Igorot Park and the former Fire Station site is located and with the Igorot Park to be transferred to the Ganza parking area so that it will be adjacent to the Melvin Jones football grounds. Councilor Bomogao also confirmed that his committee is also studying the proposals for the podium car parking building at the former City auditorium and at the former pantranco site.