City investments board tackles PPP proposals

THE BAGUIO City Investments and Incentives Board (BCIIB) convened to tackle proposals eyed for Public-Private Partnership ventures in the City.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan said the proposed projects both unsolicited and solicited were submitted to the Public-Private Partnership for the People Initiative (P4) Selection Committee chaired by City Budget Officer Leticia Clemente.

Among the unsolicited proposals presented were the lease of the Dominican Heritage Hill and Nature Park and the restoration, redevelopment and improvement of the Old Diplomat Hotel by the LKY Property Holdings Inc., the Enchanted Garden (lease of Botanical Garden) by the Megabuild JPG Dev’t, Dinosaur Island Baguio and Redevelopment of Skating Rink at Burnham Park both by Thermozone Philippines Corp., Development, Operation and Management of Burnham Parking Center by the XRC Mall Developer, the 24/7 On-line Viewable and Verifiable Police Clearance Card and the creation of an Automated Processing and Issuance of Health Card with on-line application and verification platform both by Eastland Printlink Inc.

The two solicited proposals discussed were the Mines View Satellite Building renovation and the five-layer car parking facility.

The mayor said the board will continue to evaluate proposals based on the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Ordinance No. 712017 or the Baguio City Investments and Incentives Code.

As per the Code, there are 12 preferred or priority investment areas for the city.

The board is expected to come up with an Investment Priorities Plan after conducting exhaustive researches and studies.

First approved in 2008 and later refined in 2012, the ordinance aims to boost the city’s program to attract investors and to provide incentives to industries contributing to the city’s economic development through the implementation of an investment priorities plan where the city will employ a registration system to ensure that the business would be “economically, technically and financially viable.”

Under the measure, incentives will also be provided to registered enterprises based on the qualifications provided under the Code apart from those under the Local Government Code of 1991.