Councilor Leandro Yangot Jr. has proposed an ordinance seeking to grant a five percent tax discount to all business establishments in the city with creative spaces.
Under the proposed ordinance, establishments with creative spaces must be accredited by the city administrator to be able to avail of the discount.
A creative space, according to the proposed ordinance, is an area or a place where artists can display and store their artworks and educate people about culture and arts. It serves as a venue for creative activities.
Yangot said private entities with creative spaces serve as added tourist attractions that “showcase the wonderful culture and creativity of the people of Baguio.”
“It is but appropriate that these establishments with creative spaces be granted business tax incentives as a way of showing the city’s appreciation for their significant role in promoting the creativity and culture of Baguio City and the Cordillera Region,” Yangot stated.
He added the city has been declared by the Unesco as a creative city and the first city in the country to be vested with such distinct honor of being part of the Unesco Creative Cities Network whose advocacy centers on fostering the power of creative for economic resiliency and sustainable.
“It is therefore best to have duly-identified and recognized areas in the city particularly in the six growth nodes where city artists can display, market, and store their wonderful masterpieces,” Yangot added.
The six growth nodes mentioned are the southbound hub in Dontogan which is a transport-oriented development and urban agriculture node; northbound hub in Irisan which is another transport-oriented development and arts and crafts node; the Cordillera gateway hub in Sto. Niño; the parks hub which is an interconnected network among all the parks in the city; and the eco hub in Kennon Road which is focused on ecotourism and urban agriculture; and the airport hub in Loakan Proper which is envisioned as a transport oriented and business incubator zone.
The proposed ordinance has been referred to the city council’s committee on appropriations and finance cluster B (taxes, fees, and other charges) for review. – Jordan G. Habbiling
April 26, 2024
