Councilor Lilia Farinas has proposed an ordinance creating greater advantage to Baguio-based tourism service providers over their competitors from outside the city.
The proposal sought to restrict groups outside Baguio who are not accredited by the City Tourism Office from providing tourism services within the city.
The proposed ordinance was crafted in response to the appeal of the local tourism services sector composed of accredited tour guides; tour operators; and meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions suppliers.
Fariñas said tourism service providers from outside the city who employ their tour guides deprive Baguio-based service providers of the economic remuneration.
“It is the duty of the city government to sympathize with our hapless constituents who experience biased predicaments such as what our local Baguio tourism service providers experience, thus, a need to put the odds a little more to their favor through this ordinance,” Fariñas said.
According to the proposed ordinance, groups from outside may still operate in the city provided they pay 20 percent of their total gross contact price to the City Tourism Office, of which amount shall form part of the city’s tourism fund to be used city’s tourist-related programs.
The payment shall be paid per contract and will serve as their accreditation/registration fee valid only for a year from the date of issuance.
A tourism services task force shall be created with the city mayor as the chairperson, city administrator as the co-chairperson, and city tourism officer as the action officer.
The task force shall be tasked to address all problems encountered by the city’s tourism services sector, collect funds associated with the accreditation or registration of both in-house and outside tourism services providers, draft the implementing rules and regulations of the ordinance, and apprehend individuals or entities violating the ordinance.
Non-compliant individuals or entities, once apprehended, shall be pay for their violations with fines ranging from 20 percent to 100 percent of their total gross contract price.
The proposed ordinance was been approved on first reading and was referred to the committee on tourism, special events, parks, and playgrounds for review. – Jordan G. Habbiling
April 27, 2024
