Friday, January 16, 2009 [ sunstar.com.ph ]
By Rimaliza Opiña
THE area once used as a pay-parking area by a Manila-based businessman, a temporary shelter for vagrants, and a giant storage for vendors, was cleared by the Public Order and Safety Division (POSD) Friday morning.
Push carts, concrete barricades, pay parking meters, and even the trucks of Jadewell Parking Corporation, which were recently transferred from one corner to the parking area's entrance, were cleared by the POSD to give way for plans of the city to use it as parking space for government vehicles.
Aware that Jadewell might again file a petition in court questioning the recent move of the City Government, Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. said the area will be as a "first response control center," but not for commercial purposes.
It is where ambulances, service vehicles of the Baguio City Police Office and some trucks of the Baguio Fire Department will park.
In anticipation of the volume of people who will congregate in downtown Baguio during the number of tourist-drawing activities lined up for next month, Bautista said having the vehicles at a strategic location facilitates early response during emergency cases.
Clearing of the Ganza parking area is also to beautify the business district, for the city's centennial celebration this year. The mayor said he does not want idle spaces to become eyesores.
Currently, condemned in buildings at Session Road have been demolished. A building is now being built at the property of the Development Bank of the Philippines, located at the foot of Session Road. The area used to be baratilyo.
The former Bombay Bazaar building has likewise been demolished and several buildings have been repainted also for the centennial.
In November 2006, the City Council repealed Ordinance 3-2000 or the Pay Parking Ordinance.
Rescission of the city's memorandum of agreement with Jadewell later ensued.
In the meantime, decision of the Supreme Court is being awaited on the former City Council's earlier repeal of the Ordinance, in 2002.