BAGUIO CITY – About 19 vendors within the Botanical Garden, formerly known as the Imelda Park recently signed their respective Lease of Contracts with the city government here at the City Mayor’s Office, City Hall.
Said vendors agreed to pay the required rentals on the land where they are operating their business after the Commission on Audit (COA) discovered that they had been using the area for their livelihood for the past several years already.
Accordingly, COA ruled that the vendors who are occupying government properties must also pay the necessary lease rentals for the land that they occupy for their business aside from paying the mandatory business permit fees to the city government.
Thus, the city government has to abide by the recommendations of the COA in the utilization of government properties.
In the contract, the Botanical Garden vendors will pay P5,000 plus P150 per square meter per month for the first month and P150 per square meter per month for the succeeding months for the use of the area in advance within the first five days of the month.
The vendors are obliged to keep their stalls clean, orderly and neat as well as to comply with all sanitary and park ordinances, rules and regulations.
Also, cooking and washing of laundry are not allowed.
Assigning or transferring of leasehold privilege is prohibited, however, the vendor may transfer his/her privilege to his/her immediate member of the family, willing and able to continue the business , subject to the recommendation of the City Environment and Parks Management Office to the Baguio city Market Authority/Baguio Parks Management Committee and/or the city mayor, due to reasons like death, SSS retirement, migration, illnesses and other incapabilities.
Mortgaging the stall or entering into partnership with any other person or entity as well as expansion of the allocated area is not allowed.
Violation of the terms and conditions will automatically terminate the contract.
On the other hand, in case the city will embark a comprehensive development of the leased area, the vendors must voluntarily vacate the premises within 15 days from receipt of notice./Jho Arranz
