Mayor says Baguio consults public on flagship projects

BAGUIO CITY — Mayor Benjamin Magalong assured that the city government will continue to uphold public opinion as its benchmark in implementing its flagship projects in the Summer Capital.

“We cannot discount the value of public opinion in shaping our programs and projects. Even during the pandemic, we conducted stakeholder engagements, listening to the suggestions of our constituents and explaining the details of the proposals,” the mayor said.

“In fact, some of the critical suggestions became part of the plans and terms of negotiations. There were also those that were abandoned because we listened to public sentiment,” he added.

Magalong also said that the city government does not rush things, especially in critical projects.

“We take our time, and we make sure that every step is done in accordance with the requirements of the law,” he said.

He cited the Smart Urban Mobility Project which was planned in 2021. A master plan was crafted in the same year and approved by the city council in 2022. Stakeholder engagements began in 2023 and are continuing to the present.

The same with the Market Redevelopment Project which began in 2020. Consultations on said project started in 2021 and continue to this day.

The mayor has always emphasized the importance of conducting consultations in implementing projects, especially the strategic ones under the public-private partnership (PPP) scheme.

“This is to properly explain to the stakeholders and the public the intention of the projects, their concepts and dynamics.

It is always best if people have an understanding of the projects before the PPP process takes off,” said Magalong. GABY B KEITH