BAGUIO CITY -- Environment officials said Wednesday that this mountain resort city remains very habitable even with medium-rise structures through effective land use zoning and planning.

Officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) made the clarification following reports that 90 percent of the entire city's landscape is classified as high risk.

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DENR officials led by regional executive director Regidor de Leon debunked earlier media reports that this 100-year-old city is unsafe for structures following the 1990 "killer quake" and the recent devastating Typhoon Pepeng (international codename: Parma).

De Leon said if Baguio is 90 percent high risk, then 90 percent of Baguio should have eroded during Typhoon Pepeng (international codename: Parma).

De Leon said the realty business remains a very attractive industry in this city not only to the soundness of the environs against natural disturbances but also with the world-known amenities in the area like high altitude, cool temperature, availability of tourism infrastructures and establishments as well as the overall ambiance of being a world-class tourism destination.

Geologists said Baguio is "seismically active due to various fault lines and erosion vulnerable due to steep slopes but only a few portions are considered as high risk areas."

According to the MGB in Cordillera Autonomous Region, there are four classifications of landslide proneness: low to none, moderate, critical, and highly susceptible.

Chief Geologist Faye Apil said Baguio is almost equally divided into moderate to none and critical to highly susceptible.

Mines and Safety Division chief Zards Gacad said the 90 percent reported was a summation of various classifications.

Gacad said residents and even media should not look at the numbers but on the vulnerability and the risk-hazard potential.

Apil said mitigation of landslides all boils down to the proper land use and zoning regulations of the City Government.

She added there should be a limit in terms of putting up structures since the more structures put up; the more the soil becomes vulnerable.

De Leon said building planners should carefully study the place where they want to build if only for their own safety.

Typhoon Pepeng, which hit Baguio and neighboring areas last month claimed hundreds of lives and closed major roads due to landslides.

Areas in Baguio where landslides mostly occur are Kennon Road, Pinsao, Dominican, Mirador area, Purok 3, Central Fairview, Magsaysay Avenue, Old Lucban, Lucnab, Monticello Lexber Boundary, Pacdal and Cabinet Hill, the MGB earlier said.

Meanwhile, the MGB reported there are also four fault lines, which pass underneath the Summer Capital.

These are Burnham-La Trinidad, Mirador-La Trinidad, Loakan and San Vicente faults.

Apil assured these are not earthquake generators but only intensify vibrations during earthquakes.

The MGB officials explained that the frequent tremors here are health signs of non-build up of stronger earthquakes similar to that of 1990 which originated from the Digdig and San Manuel fault which runs across Central Luzon towards the mountains within the Cordillera mountain ranges.

Tourism officials reported earlier that the city is losing a minimum of P20 million a day due to the pullout of two major conventions earlier scheduled here after back-to-back storms hit the city and cause massive flooding and landslide. (Visha Calventas of Sun.Star Baguio/PNA/Sunnex)