Baguio willing to return Burnham Park to national government

Acting City Mayor Faustino A. Olowan underscored that the city government is willing to return to the national government, particularly the State-owned tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), the administration, management and operation of the 34-hectare Burnham Park once the latter so decides to take the same back from the city government.

Olowan claimed that the city government is the mere administrator of the park and that it will surely bow down to what the owner will decide on the management and operation of the city’s premier park.

The vice mayor pointed out that the decision of the city government to have Burnham Park titled in its name was to protect the park from being titled in the name of individuals because of the existence of some persons who are said to be claimants of the park.

Earlier, the city government acquired a title for more than half the area of the park while the titling of the remaining park area is still under process.

Olowan asserted that the 34-hectare Burnham park is still owned by the national government through the TIEZA and that the city government is the administrator that is why when the TIEZA will decide to take back the administration, management and operation of the park from the city, then it can do so and the city government is also willing to return the same being an obedient administrator.

Executive Order No. 224, series of 1995 issued by former President Fidel V. Ramos turned over the administration, management and operation of Burnham Park from the former Philippine Tourism Authority–National Parks Development Committee (PTA-NPDC) with a supposed annual subsidy of P18 million.

Further, Presidential Proclamation No. 695, series of 2009 was issued by former President and now House senior Deputy Majority Floor Leader Gloria Macapagal Arroyo that enhanced the aforesaid presidential issuance to allow the city government to have full control on the operation of the city’s premier park.

Olowan explained that whatever issues and concerns raised by TIEZA on the titling of Burnham Park in the name of the city government can be threshed out in future consultations with the owner of the property, but what is important is that the city did the titling in good faith without intending to it away from the owner.

He said that the city government is awaiting the response of TIEZA on an earlier letter sent by the city government informing the authority of the ongoing efforts of the city to title in its name Burnham Park as part of the initiatives to prevent the park from being claimed and eventually titled by purported claimants. – Dexter A. See