CEPMO advised not to receive payments on use of parks

City officials recently advised the officials and personnel of the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) not to accept payments on the use of parks for trade fairs or exhibitions without the approval of the local legislative body.

Under Resolution No. 084, series of 2023, local legislators stated that Section 3 of Ordinance No. 03, series of 2023 prohibits the conduct in public areas or approval of any trade fairs or similar activities not included in the Panagbenga 2023 lineup of activities within the duration of the city’s major crowd drawing event that is now being solely handled by the private sector, the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, Inc. (BFFFI).

Based on the lined-up activities of the 27th edition of the Panagbenga, the prepared events will run for 5 weeks, particularly from February 1 to March 5, 2023, where the said activities are usually held in specific areas and spaces as venues for the same.

However, there are numerous applications of individuals and organizations pending before the local government for the conduct of trade fairs and the same are now filed with the CEPMO which is in charge of ascertaining the activities that are allowed in parks.

The said organizers have expressed their willingness to pay the required maintenance bond in advance for their scheduled activities and the use of venues but the same coincides with the celebration of the festival and the conduct of the lined-up activities for this year’s flower festival.

According to the resolution, there is a need for the CEPMO to avoid accepting payments for the conduct of trade fairs and other activities that directly competed with the approved activities of the organizers of the flower festival to avoid any conflict among those that had been authorized by the local legislative body and the applicants that simply filed their application for the conduct of trade fairs in parks and other public spaces that are now pending with the CEPMO. – Dexter A. See