City council to probe ‘Daongan Ed Dawel’
WHO OWNS IT?
THE Dagupan River Cruise is hailed as a good tourism project, but the process in which it is being set up appears highly irregular.
This was voiced by Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), as she announced that the council has invited City Tourism Officer Rosemary Teng Mejia to appear in this week’s session to clarify issues surrounding the project, particularly the construction of the Daongan ed Dawel.
Mejia was earlier quoted in a press release issued by Philippine Information Agency that both the river cruise and the operation of the Daongan, the docking area, are operated by a private-public partnership but she did not name the private person or company that the city government had partnered with.
The vice mayor said the city council did not pass any resolution endorsing a public-private partnership for the project nor giving the mayor the authority to enter into such a partnership.
“Perhaps, Mrs. Mejia is telling the truth (about the partnership) because we cannot remember any allocation in our 2011 budget that was intended to bankroll the Dagupan River Cruise”, the vice mayor said.
Moreover, Fernandez said she is not aware of any public bidding conducted by the city government in connection with the project.
The River Cruise consists of the daongan or docking area, located at the foot of the Dawel bridge, currently with three nipa huts from where tourists get on and off the boat which takes them on a trip along the Dawel River.
A restaurant is reportedly being constructed on the other side of the bridge which was already backfilled using the dredging machine owned by the city.
Fernandez added the SP has not issued any franchise for the project’s commercial operation, which is required under the Local Government Code.
According to Mejia, the river cruise is currently still being offered for free pending the completion of the study setting the rates for the service.
“Without any franchise, the private firm that invested in the project could be violating the law if it decides to charge fees,” Fernandez said.
The vice mayor also instructed the SP secretariat to invite City Engineer Virginia Rosario to the council session this week to clarify who owns and built the Daongan for the Dagupan River Cruise, including the status of the land on which it was constructed.
Fernandez pointed out that the Daongan area as well as the site of the planned restaurant across the bridge are part of national government property that cannot be used without the latter’s written consent.
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