BAGUIO CITY — Amid concerns raised in a forum on December 9, 2024, the Baguio City Council requested the Tourism and Special Events Division to submit a consolidated 2023-2024 financial report on the Session Road Creative Sundays.
The city council also called for an assessment of the activity’s social, economic, and traffic impacts.
During its December 9 regular session, the city council members called for a meeting with the Tourism and Special Events Division and the Permits and Licensing Division initially to clarify the guidelines for the selection of participants in this regular event.
However, the discussion expanded into topics on operational challenges, the impact of event fees on small businesses, and the broader social, economic, and traffic effects of the pedestrianization of Session Road.
The Session Road Creative Sundays is an initiative that involves transforming a portion of the road into a pedestrian-friendly space for cultural, social, and economic activities.
According to Supervision Tourism Officer Aloysius Mapalo, the idea to pedestrianize Session Road began in 2019 aimed at socio-cultural, environmental and economic benefits such as health promotion, artistic freedom, and reduction of air and noise pollution.
Activities began with cultural and arts programs but expanded to include merchant fairs during the COVID-19 pandemic to support local livelihoods.
By 2021, issues such as over-commercialization and complaints from establishments arose, prompting a review and realignment of goals.
In 2022, the city reverted to focusing on cultural and socio-civic activities rather than extensive selling, with its name eventually shifting from Sunday Market Encounter to Creative Sundays.
Under the Local Government Code of 1991, the said activity is permissible only under specific conditions such as festivities, public rallies, or fairs.
To comply with this, the City Mayor’s Office issues monthly executive orders based on thematic festivities.
Due to the limited resources of the Tourism and Special Events Division, the city engages third-party organizers to manage thematic events and curate activities for the event.
These third-party organizers also set guidelines for stall allocation and manage operational aspects including collecting fees from stall owners.
Mapalo emphasized that these organizers are legitimate businesses and that their office ensures that these organizers are capable of issuing receipts and maintaining proper accounting records.
He also clarified that there are some activities that are free such as chalk art, busking, and advocacy booths.
However, paid activities are necessary for other types of stalls where organizers incur operational costs.
Mapalo further pointed out that a cap of 20 stalls per section (divided into Upper and Lower Session Road) had been imposed to avoid overcrowding and maintain the quality of the event.
According to Mapalo, stall owners typically pay P2,500.00 to P3,000.00 to the organizers per Sunday.
This covers special permits ranging from P800.00 to P1,500.00, logistics, tent rentals, technical equipment, and manpower for event branding and monitoring.
However, Licensing Officer I Geraldine Angulo explained that the fee for special permits is P722 for non-food stalls while food stalls are charged P879.00, collected every Sunday for each stall.
Councilors Jose Molintas and Betty Lourdes Tabanda highlighted a discrepancy between the special permit fees collected by the Permits and Licensing Division and what is being charged by the organizers.
Mapalo said their office is unaware of such changes but committed to investigating the issue.
Councilor Benny Bomogao proposed that if the city government were to organize the events directly, all funds collected from the stalls could go to the city’s funds.
He suggested that, with the proper management and guidelines, all revenue could be routed directly to the city instead of going to private organizers.
While agreeing that it was a good idea, Mapalo reiterated that additional personnel would be needed to handle the logistics of organizing events.
However, he said it is possible to implement this system with the proper infrastructure and an adequate number of personnel.
Councilor Vladimir Cayabas expressed concern about the fairness of these fees charged by organizers, particularly for smaller or livelihood-focused stall owners who may struggle to afford these fees which may lead to the exclusion of certain groups due to high fees.
Cayabas stressed the need for clearer guidelines for these organizers, as currently, the guidelines are set by the organizers themselves.
Acknowledging this concern, Mapalo said their office is already working on creating general guidelines for all organizers to ensure a more standardized approach and provide clearer expectations for both organizers and participants.
Mapalo stated that two objectives of the Session Road pedestrianization (social and cultural) are being met as the space has become a hub for creative expressions.
However, Councilor Mylen Victoria Yaranon raised concerns about the negative impact on nearby businesses and traffic congestion.
She suggested that the feasibility of the road pedestrianization needs to be reassessed.
Yaranon further challenged the idea that the traffic situation had improved, citing visible congestion in other areas.
She questioned whether the pedestrianization is still feasible and suggested that a more thorough review of the traffic impacts should be conducted.
Mapalo agreed to collect financial reports from the organizers to be consolidated.
The city council set a 45-day grace period for the submission of a comprehensive report which will include financial data, participation fees, and recommendations.
Additional studies on social, economic, environmental, and traffic impacts will be explored after the initial report is submitted.
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