Baguio city – Some P180 million was earmarked by the Department of Public works and Highways (DPWH) for the proposed repair had rehabilitation of the city-owned Baguio Convention Center under the agency’s 2018 national building program which forms part of the national expenditure program.
In her letter dated July 31, 2017 to Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan, DPWH-CAR regional director Nerie D. Bueno requested the local government for a coordination meeting to discuss the preparation of detailed plans and the conduct of pre-detailed engineering activities for the identified project that was provided the required funding requirement by the agency in next year’s budget.
The DPWH-CAR official proposed for the conduct of a joint inspection of the facility once the city’s technical team had already prepared the initial conceptual plan for the said project.
“Please be informed that the completion of the procurement process for all civil works of all identified priority projects to be implemented by the agency is on or before 30 November 2017, hence, we are hoping that the proposed coordination meeting be scheduled the soonest,” Bueno stressed.
She appreciated the efforts of the local government to sustain close coordination among concerned government agencies and city departments in the provision of quality infrastructure projects for the people of the city and the whole region in general.
On the other hand, Domogan directed the City Building and Architecture Office (CBAO)( to immediately coordinate with the DPWH-CAR and the DPWH Baguio City District Engineering Office (BCDEO) to facilitate the necessary detailed plans and pre-detailed feasibility study for the project to make sure that the desire of the local government to upgrade the city-owned premier convention facility will be realized the soonest.
When some ranking DPWH officials visited the city last year, they requested city officials through the City Planning and Development Office to submit a number of the priority projects of the local government for funding in the agency’s 2018 national budget.
The local government, in turn, submitted a list of the city’s priority infrastructure projects for funding by the agency that included the amount of P200 million for the repair and rehabilitation of the city-owned Baguio Convention Center to guarantee the introduction of the appropriate improvements to the almost 40-year old convention facility.
It can be recalled that the local government acquired the Baguio Convention Center from the Government Service Insurance Corporation (GSIS) in 2012 before it was subjected to partial rehabilitation in 2014.
The Baguio Convention Center was constructed by the Ministry of Human Settlements to serve as the venue for the world chess championship match between Anatoly Karpov and Victor Korchnoi.
CBAO officials are batting for the conduct of the needed coordination meeting between technical people of the DPWH and the local government to plan out the works that will be implemented with the available funds for the project. /By Dexter A. See
