Old hopes and suspicions surfaced in last Tuesday’s forum on the BLISTT, the  off-and-on plan to adopt a metropolitan approach to the development of Baguio and the neighboring Benguet towns of La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan,  Tuba and, recently, Tublay.

Tuba mayor Florencio Bentrez said that if the purpose is simply to decongest Baguio , as reported in a news item, then his town and the others in the “LISTT” areas would be against the concept similar to the Metro-Manila Development Authority.

“ Baguio must show sincerity so we can pursue the plan together,” Bentrez said. He added that recent irritants, such as the prohibition by the city of jeepneys bringing in passengers from Benguet, are dampening hopes for reviving the BLISTT concept of development based on a study supported by the European Community.

With him at the forum at the University of the Philippines Baguio were mayors Greg Abalos of La Trinidad  and Arthur Baldo of Sablan. Executive assistant Rafael Tallocoy represented city mayor Mauricio Domogan while Prof. Teofino Macabiog represented the host institution.

The discussions were initiated by the Local Government Development Foundation represented by its executive director, Edmund Tayao, Terry Dumogho and dean Alex Brillantes of the UP College of Public Administration and Governance.

Tayao explained the BLISTT plan surfaced  during a seminar conducted by LOGODEF in 2007, particularly during discussions on Baguio ’s traffic ordinances  and their effect on its neighboring towns.

In last Tuesday’s discussions, Bentrez said one of the first moves is to erase the belief that Baguio will take advantage of the LISTT towns as its resource base instead of partners in development. – Ramon Dacawi.