WITH the active role of the government in the 2018 Baguio Flower Festival, grumbling in the City Council has lessened.
“So far, we are happy with how it is being handled. Now we can see where the money is being spent and how much the festival really earns,” Vice Mayor Edison Bilog said.
Bilog said the system is better now with the check and balance, as local officials are updated in dealings, expenses and solicitations.
“Mas maganda ito dahil in the previous years, we [the council] were never furnished a financial statement, Ngayon malalaman na natin,” said Bilog.
The vice mayor said meetings with Baguio Flower Festival Executive Committee Chairman Elmer Datuin reveled a P16-million funding to run the entire festival, covering all expenses and payments needed to made to suppliers, prizes for all contests, provisions for volunteers and participants and funding for bankrolled events.
Bilogs said the needed cash for this is easily covered by the payments made by income generating activities like the Baguio Blooms at the Burnham Park, a month-long exhibition of goods with 220 stalls at the park.
He said the money will also be generated from the week-long Session Road in Bloom, which will feature close to 200 stalls to line the Central Business District.
“May mga solicitations pa tayo, sponsorships at exhibitor’s day. It is more than enough,” added Bilog.
Bilog said permission for the Session Road in Bloom and the exhibitors day has been held pending the submission of the layout of booths for both activities.
The vice mayor said the exhibitors day, the activity within the Athletic Bowl and Ganza parking area during the two-day parades where sponsors and non sponsors set up booths for selling and marketing, was disapproved by the City Council in the past years but was ignored by organizers.
Bilog added that reports have reached his office that close to 50 booths pay as high as P50,000 for the two-day set up along these key areas.
He said City Council wants to give sponsors of the festival free booths as they already infused sponsorship pledges while non-sponsors will be charged lower, if at all be allowed to set up.
He said the barangays will have more exposure during the Session Road in Bloom with more stalls for the Liga ng mga Barangay. Areas of Assumption and Perfecto streets that were previously allotted for them were expanded to include Calderon, portions of Lower Session Road from Mabini/Session Road Intersection downwards plus portions of governor pack and the post office loop.
Bilog said the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Incorporated (BFFFI), as well as the city budget officer and treasurer will be called to the City Council to explain the use of the BFFFI receipts and how this will fare with the strict Commission on Audit (COA) rules.
The COA report done by Margie Bongait recommended to formulate guidelines of funds and submission of financial statements for transparency and accountability, and execute a memorandum of agreement 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 BFFFI, which should have been done by the city hall treasury office mandated by the local government code.
“The act of allowing a private entity to collect fees and charges was contrary to fundamental principles governing the exercise of taxing and other revenue raising power of the local government unit,” Bongait’s report added.