Baguio City Orders Boat Fare Freeze at Burnham Lake

BAGUIO CITY — The city government has ordered Burnham Park boat concessionaires to maintain the P250 rental fee for a 30-minute ride, regardless of boat size, following reports of rate increases after the lake reopened. The status quo took effect Sept. 2 after a meeting led by City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) head Rhenan Diwas, with City Administrator Vittorio Jerico Cawis also in attendance. Diwas said no rate increase had been authorized, as any adjustment still requires City Council approval. Only two of the nine boat owners had complied with the city’s boat upgrading requirement as of Sept. 2, Diwas said. Boats that have not been upgraded will not be allowed for public use. READ: Baguio’s Burnham Lake reopens after yearlong closure The concessionaires were also ordered to issue official receipts to customers. Diwas said an earlier agreement allowing a possible rental fee adjustment was conditional on compliance with the upgrading requirement and securing City Council approval. Cawis warned that concessionaires who continue to disregard the requirements could lose their slots, which would then be opened to other interested residents. “This is the final warning,” he said. The meeting followed Mayor Benjamin Magalong’s directive for an immediate investigation into the reported increase in boat rental fees. Magalong warned that concessionaires found taking advantage of the public would face sanctions. The Burnham Park lake reopened on Sept. 1 after 10 months of rehabilitation as part of the city’s 117th Charter Day anniversary celebration. /mcm