The city government started implementing the collection of entrance fees for Botanical Garden and Diplomat Heritage Park as mandated by City Ordinance 18 s. 2016 or the City Environmental Code.
The City Environment and Parks Management Office started the collection of P10 for adults and P5 for children as entrance fee rate on the two city-owned parks based on Section 31 of the City Environmental Code.
The code also mandates the collection of rental rates for the use of the two halls for meetings, seminars, conferences, and other functions for non-government and private organizations.
For the Diplomat Heritage Park, the rate for the first floor ranges from P500 per hour or P4,000 per day (eight hours) plus P100 for every hour of electricity used while the rate for the second floor area is P700 per hour or P5,600 per day (eight hours) plus P100 for every hour of electricity used. A refundable bond of P5,000 is also required, to be deposited at the City Treasury Office.
The bond will be refunded only after the amount representing damages incurred had been deducted from it.
However, if the damage cost exceeds the bond, the event organizer shall be charged based on prevailing estimates of plants, grass covers, fences, and/or replaceable facilities like lamps or lamp posts.
Use of the Diplomat Heritage Park grounds for photo shoots, concerts, and any other legal and moral functions is P1,000 for five hours of actual use or P2,000 per day (eight hours) plus P100 for every hour of set-up time.
The City Environmental Code provides that the use of the Diplomat Heritage Park will only be allowed after the necessary fees are paid to the City Treasury Office and the permit to use is issued.
Under Section 33 of the code, all park fees will have a 10 percent increase every three years.
The city hopes to cash in from the entrance fees for better maintenance and improvement of the city parks. – Jess Mardy Samidan
April 19, 2024
