Consultation eyed for Panagbenga

A STATEMENT in jest could hold water.

Neophyte councilor Benny Bomogao admonished a revolution is needed against the conduct of the Baguio Flower Festival as the entire council backed the resolution of Councilor Peter Fianza calling for a public consultation for the annual festival.

The council is still waiting for the audit of the Baguio Flower Festival Incorporated (BFFI) while the Commission On Audit recommended to formulate guidelines of funds and submission of financial statements for transparency and accountability; execute a MOA between the city and the BFFI which has to be confirmed by the

local council for efficiency and effective operations.

Vice Mayor Edison Bilog said the promised audit of the festival has never been submitted by the

BFFI with a letter informing the council a report will be submitted when the calendar year is over and after all activities of the foundation has been made.

Bilog said the BFFI’s action goes against promises made by the foundation when consent of the body was sought for events during the February affair.

Councilor Elmer Datuin said the BFFI has never complied with audit requests by the council for the annual festival.

An ordinance was crafted by Councilor Edgar Avila which has been returned to the body by Mayor Mauricio Domogan, gives the council an active role in the organization, execution and implementation of annual event.

The new law has created a Baguio Flower Festival Committee (Baffcom) formed to determine, undertake and oversee the implementation of festival activities which is chaired by the mayor and vice mayor with the tourism council and office line agencies as members.

In the proposed law, there will be an open bid for the festival for a coordinator, leaving management for the event to the city designating a coordinator for the implementation of programs to be bided out to associations, organizations and event managers.

Domogan asked the body for additional measure to back the proposed law, which is pending with the committee of Datuin.

The public consultation’s aim is to gather stakeholders and their ideas on the conduct of the festival.

The urgency of the matter pushed the council to sidestep secretariat rules to wait for a month to schedule the consultation with stakeholders and shell out P1,000 each from their own pockets to bankroll the process at the soonest possible time. Maria Elena Catajan