BAGUIO CITY – The Baguio city government has not been sitting on the environmental problems besetting the city and on the contrary has been pursuing solutions so much so that there is no need to totally close it to bring about the desired changes.
Environmental Management Bureau Cordillera Regional Director Reynaldo Digamo stressed this in a press briefing Tuesday where he also belied persistent talks of Baguio’s closure like what was done to Boracay.
Digamo said there was no official instruction from the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as to the city’s shutting but admitted that there were discussions on its possible rehabilitation.
Mayor Mauricio Domogan earlier welcomed the possibility of the city undergoing rehabilitation but cautioned against this being misconstrued as closure and in the process hurt businesses in the city.
Digamo agreed that closure is not tenable in a city like Baguio given its physical and social conditions.
Digamo presented updates on the initiatives and programs that the city has been undertaking to address problems on air, water and land pollution.
He said the city has achieved a fair status of air quality in the various air sampling and monitoring stations installed in various locations over the years of actively implementing the anti-smoke belching and other ordinances related to the environment.
Problems persist on the fronts of solid and water pollution management but he said that what is important is that the city has not been taking these problems sitting down.
He encouraged the local government to sustain if not double its efforts ahead of a formal order for rehabilitation.
“Let’s not wait for the order. Let’s do it now,” he said.
Mayor Domogan thanked Digamo for taking the cudgels for the city leadership who has been blamed for the reported “closure.”
“Director Digamo knows very well our hardships in trying to address all these problems and I hope this will help enlighten the people that we have not been remiss in our duties,” he said.** Aileen P. Refuerzo
