House committee approves creation of BLISTTDA

February 25, 2017 Metro BLISTT

The House Committee on Government Enterprises and Privatization recently approved House Bill No. 1554 filed by Baguio Rep. Mark Go creating the Baguio City, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay Development Authority otherwise known as the BLISTTDA.
The committee hearing presided by Chairman Rep. Jesus Sacdalan on February 21, 2017 swiftly acted on the passage of proposed measure in consideration of the motion of Rep. Prospero Pichay for the approval of the said bill.
Mayor Ignacio Rivera of Tuba, Mayor Victorio Palangdan of Itogon and Mayor Arthur Baldo of Sablan are among mayors in the province of Benguet covered by BLISTTDA creation who attended the committee hearing expressing their support to the proposed measure.
“So with our presence we support because we know for a fact that Baguio City is still the summer capital of our country and it is already overcrowded. It needs to be expanded. The ecowaste management has been a long problem of the city and the surrounding municipalities can help if this help will be approved,” Palangdan said.
“It is therefore imperative now to fully materialize the long overdue creation of BLISTTDA which primarily intends to centralize and oversee the development efforts and initiatives which deal with the challenges and problems confronting the City of Baguio and its nearby municipalities,” Go stressed.
Among others, the proposed BLISTTDA shall exercise regulatory and supervisory authority over the delivery of area-wide services within the city and municipalities without diminution of the autonomy of the local government units concerning purely local matters. “This shall include services of Development Planning; Urban Renewal, Land Use Planning and Housing and Shelter Formulation; Transport and Traffic Management; Solid Waste Disposal and Management; Flood Control and Sewerage Management; Water Resource System; Health and Sanitation; Pollution Control and Public Safety and Order,” Go ended. PR / ABN