Quick Links

Recent Columns

International Literacy DayEditorial
Jesus House Of DavidReflections

more columns

BAGUIO CITY — Korean investors, who were set to develop the Baguio Athletic Bowl located within Burnham Park here, backed out of the multi-million project after almost all sectors in the city strongly opposed the privatization of the seven-hectare sports facility in order to become a productive asset.

The woes of the investors were compounded after the city council decided to withdraw Resolution No. 515, Series of 2009, which confirmed the memorandum of agreement (MoA) entered between Mayor Reinaldo A. Bautista Jr. and a representative of the Korean investors who were not officially registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) because of criticisms from the different sectors that such confirmation was allegedly railroaded during a special session called for the purpose.

Local residents vowed to conduct a series of rallies in the different parts of the city to express their disappointment over the failure of city officials to conduct public hearings and consultations on how to go about with the development of the Athletic Bowl so that they could be guided accordingly in the crafting of suitable terms of reference for the ambitious project.

Bautista admitted he was talking to a Korean, a long time resident of the city, and the supposed middleman for the project, a move condemned by the religious, professional, business, and other civic groups.

Under the proposed development plan for the Athletic Bowl, the sports facility will be converted into a world-class recreational complex consisting of hotels and restaurants coupled with improved track oval, swimming pool, tennis courts, state-of-the-art bleachers, and the maintenance of a forested area representing the city’s stature as the Summer Capital of the Philippines.

The Baguio multi-sectoral group, an umbrella organization of religious denominations in the city, branded the agreement as hastily done and tainted with obvious corruption since it was not transparently conducted and without the benefit of a public bidding in accordance to existing national rules and regulations.

According to the group, the action of the council to withdraw its earlier confirmation to the agreement is an indication that something went wrong along the way.

Based on the agreement, the Korean developer will pay the city government a monthly rental of P100,000 with a 10 percent increase every after five years until the 25-year lease agreement under the build, operate, and lease scheme shall have commenced.

Recommended articles

• Warring political rivals sign peace covenant
• Expect longer procession, church tells devotees
• Iloilo launches vigilant Bantay Suba project
• Non-passage of budget sees hundreds of workers sacked
• AFP implements P76.9-M peace, dev’t projects in South Mindanao
• Sarangani builds gov’t housing units
• Substantial economic growth seen in Region 9
• Council OKs P12-M health ordinance
• American, BA seek quick OK from US for air alliance
• Strikes hit Aussie oil, gas shipping
• Crude oil freight rates on major routes higher
• American says Oneworld to offer JAL $2-B package