TWO proposed legislative measures have been filed with the Baguio City Council with one proposal seeking to prohibit loading and unloading areas within marked and identified cultural heritage and historical sites and another proposal appropriating an amount for the purchase of musical instruments for the city orchestra to be formed.
In the first proposed ordinance, City Councilor Edgar Avila, author of the measure, seeks to prohibit loading and unloading stations of public utility or service vehicles in heritage areas including City Hall and other historical places.
Councilor Avila pointed out that the city must give value to heritage and historical areas in the locality particularly City Hall and other areas like the site where the Philippine Commission held its first session in the city.
He added that while City Hall serves as the symbol of government and authority it was observed that Baguio is the only local government unit which allows public utility vehicles to load and unload passengers in its frontage, and that unfortunately some of the areas in the vicinity of the establishment have been designated as parking spaces and/or loading and unloading stations for public utility vehicles rendering the same unsightly and an affront to the historical significance of the sites and thus should be relocated somewhere else.
The proposed ordinance covers all public utility vehicles having their loading and unloading stations within the immediate vicinity or frontage of identified heritage areas including that of City Hall as well as other historical places. In the event of non-compliance with the proposed regulation the measure provides for penalties which are a fine of P5,000 and/or six months to one year imprisonment or both upon the discretion of the court.
Another proposed ordinance, this time authored by City Councilor Faustino Olowan, seeks to appropriate P200,000 from the City Development fund as financial aid to the Baguio City Musical Orchestra that will be formed and for the purchase of musical instruments for the said band.
The proposed measure seeks for the reservation of an area within the Baguio City Convention Center that will serve as the office of the soon to be formed Baguio City Musical Orchestra and shall be under the supervision of the City Sports Office.
The proposed appropriation ordinance is seen as a positive response to the letter of lawyer Moises Cating, Chairman for life of the Baguio Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio Incorporated, which came up with the observation that it has been noted by residents and visitors alike that Baguio City has no official musical orchestra of its own and that on many occasions when an orchestra is needed they are hired from the lowlands especially in Urdaneta, Pangasinan.
It was further bared in the letter of lawyer Cating that some local artists have proposed that the city come up with its own orchestra and that while there are enough musicians in the city of Baguio, they will need the appropriate musical instruments to use in the said orchestra.
Both proposed legislative measures are expected to be tackled on the next regular session of the City Council.