Baguio LGU firm on taxing 60 John Hay establishments

BAGUIO CITY – The city government is confident of getting additional revenues from the 60 establishments operating inside Camp John Hay here following talks with officials of the government-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and the John Hay Management Corporation (JHMC).

“Our legal office (along) with (representatives from) the permits and licensing office, and their counterparts in JHMC and BCDA have met to come up with guidelines and agreed to work together for the assessment of the business enterprises,” said Fernando Ragma, city assistant treasurer, during the “Ugnayan” program aired on social media.

Ragma explained that in an earlier assessment, there are about 60 establishments that have not obtained business permits from the local government but continue to do business citing as reason the fact that they are operating inside an economic zone.

He said the take-over by BCDA on the 240 hectares leased areas of John Hay, following a final Supreme Court decision, is timely noting that businesses cannot use as reason the location of their business as a factor for not obtaining local permit.

He said only Philippine Economic Zone Authority-registered establishments, not all the locators, are exempted from obtaining local permits to operate.

“We still have to do an actual assessment because there might be other enterprises outside the main business area. We have to conduct a monitoring to determine the actual number of establishments,” he said.

Unless an ordinance is passed by the  City Council allowing for an amnesty, the businesses that are not PEZA-registered have to pay up all the taxes and additional charges.

“This will increase our revenues in the city because the fees and taxes will add to the locally generated collection of the city government, and will redound to the people in terms of services,” the official added.

The city government hopes to collect PHP3 billion revenues this year.

Meanwhile, the Camp John Hay Golf Club has withdrawn the case it filed with the Regional Trial Court in the city

“A group of Camp John Hay Golf Club members has filed a motion to withdraw their case filed before the Baguio Regional Trial Court, signaling their willingness to build a partnership with the new management of the golf course,” Leilani Barlongay-Macasaet, vice president for BCDA public affairs, said in a press release Thursday.

She said BCDA welcomes the decision of Camp John Hay Golf Club members for the seamless transition that will result in improved facilities and services at the golf estate in Camp John Hay.

Following the successful recovery of the Camp John Hay Golf Course, a new consortium formed by Golfplus Management Inc., the operations team behind the driving ranges in premium estates Nuvali and Alviera, and DuckWorld PH, a sports management and marketing agency, has been tapped to assist the BCDA in managing the golf estate facilities for the interim period. — Liza Agoot  (PNA)