City’s bid to own sewer treatment plan lot gets headway
After years of negotiations, the city government finally scored a major headway in its bid to acquire the lot occupied by the Baguio Sewerage Treatment Plant at North Sanitary Camp barangay.
Last Dec. 9, 2022, the city represented by Mayor Benjamin Magalong entered into a memorandum of agreement with the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM) under President and Chief Executive Officer Dennis Dela Serna last Dec. 9, 2022 for the purchase of PSALMโs property where the STP has been housed and operating since the 1980s.
PSALM said the property is composed of ten lots and has a total land area of 6,332 square meters and is valued at P36,046,003.80.
City Budget Officer Leticia Clemente said, “Negotiations for the purchase of the property had been going on for years and finally, it is moving forward.”
The mayor, in October 2019, served the city’s intention to buy the property to PSALM jumpstarting undertakings that led to the purchase accord.
In 2021, the city council approved Resolution No. 474-2021 authorizing the mayor to enter into a deed of transfer and conveyance on the lot.
The city government had been working to take full possession of the property to facilitate funding support for the rehabilitation and upgrading of the cityโs aging STP to increase its capacity to adequately and effectively treat wastewater and prevent pollution of the Balili River.
At present, the 40-year old STP has been operating beyond its daily capacity of 8,600 cubic treating at least 12,000 cubic meters of wastewater daily. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
