March 29, 2024

The city council through Ordinance 03, s. 2022 has extended for six months the implementation of Ordinance 54, s. 2021 or the amnesty ordinance for electrical service connection in Baguio, which expired Nov. 16 last year.
The extension is to fully carry out the spirit and intent of the amnesty ordinance by giving qualified residents, especially the poor, all means and opportunity to avail themselves of basic needs and services to improve their social, economic, and living conditions.
The ordinance stated reasons many applicants failed to avail themselves of electrical connection are: the City Assessor’s Office is currently conducting the reassessment of all real properties within the city with limited personnel, thereby causing the delay in the issuance of tax declaration as one of the essential requirements; the significant effect and economic impact of the Covid-19 to applicants; and misinterpretation of the ordinance, whether or not it applies to residential houses built on titled, declared or undeclared lands, which are not covered by the prohibitions in Sec. 3 of Ordinance 54.
The ordinance shall cover all residential dwellings with building tax declarations built on titled, declared or undeclared lands and not within those prohibited places: forest and watershed reservations; with pending demolition order or once demolished on the same place; and structures on waterways, road rights-of-way, and declared high-risk areas.
Through Ordinance 04, s. 2022, the city council has set guidelines for crafting/enacting barangay parking ordinances in the city for uniform actions and efficiency in addressing lack of parking spaces and vehicle parking along barangay roads, which are causing obstruction and congestion.
The guidelines require barangays to first submit their respective barangay parking ordinances for review by the city council, defining its “designated parking” and “parking scheme.”
Designated parking contains or supported by a favorable endorsement of the City Engineering Office-Traffic and Transportation Management Division; a vicinity parking plan which shall specify the location and the number of parking slots; and approved proposed parking ordinance during the barangay general assembly.
Parking scheme indicates if the barangay shall charge parking fees on facilities it owns or manages, or if it shall assess fees on allowed on-street parking.
Barangays are allowed to identify facilities they own or manage for vehicle parking, but their use and collection of parking fees shall be based on approved deliberation during the barangay GA.
On-street parking is scheduled during daytime from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and during night time or overnight from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Day parking fees shall be for minimum of P35 but not exceeding P50 for the first three hours plus P10 every succeeding hour per slot. Flat rate charge for overnight parking is P100.
Barangays may arrange or adopt daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual payment of parking fees on their owned or managed facilities and allowed on-street parking areas, provided parking must be on first come, first served basis regardless of the mode of payment.
All parking fees collected shall accrue to the exclusive fund of the barangay, which portion shall be used by the barangay to pay for the cost of receipts from the city government.
The uniform design of signages and markings shall be prepared and provided by the CEO-TTMD or other authorized offices.
The ordinance prohibits barangays from legislating parking ordinances or enter into any agreement that imposes and mandates the collection of rent, parking fees or maintenance fees covering staging and loading areas designated for public utility vehicles; parking areas within parks or facilities owned or managed by the city or the national government; and national roads and roads within the perimeter of the central business district as delineated by the number coding scheme.
Barangays are also prohibited from enacting or making any agreement allowing overnight parking of PUV or any motor vehicle granted with a franchise by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board; and designating parking space for a particular person, vehicle or number plate, except for designation made for the use of its officials, employees, and clients on facilities within the barangay hall premises, offices, and parking facilities.
The CEO-TTMD is tasked to implement the ordinance. Its duties and functions are to ensure and oversee the summary removal of parking or traffic signs, or order the discontinuance of traffic regulation and collection of parking fees found inconsistent, and the institution of appropriate legal actions in case of violations. It shall also recommend, for just cause, the repeal of parking ordinances by the barangay or the city government.
One year after the effectivity of the guidelines, barangay parking ordinances not amended and inconsistent with the guidelines shall be deemed void or inoperative.