THE Baguio City Council summoned Monday, November 26, the SM City Baguio management and stakeholders over the noise generated by the newly opened mall and made learning "difficult" for students.

The mall representatives, however, did not show up, due to "conflict in schedules."

University of the Philippines Baguio Chancellor Raymound Rovillos and University of the Cordilleras (UC) vice president for administration Leonarda Aguinalde said the noise pollution from the SM City Sky Ranch amusement park and the ongoing construction of the mall's new building are bothering students during class hours.

Rovillos noted, being closest to the amusement park, that learning of students is affected by what he describes as extreme noise, as he questioned why an amusement park was allowed to operate within a school zone.

Aguinalde also complained of noise from the construction of the SM building fronting the university, as well as traffic and a stench from sewers.

Aguinalde added that on the onset of the project, the management of the mall had a dialogue with the university over its request that construction be limited to nighttime so as not to bother students taking night class, specifically the college of law.

He said the problem with traffic was also discussed and SM agreed to construct its main entrance for the new structure fronting the Commission on Elections area so as not to congest the main gates of the school where a gridlock will surely be met.

However, Aguinalde said there has been no dialog since the initial sit down conference. He said the entrance to the mall's new building seems to be facing the UC gates, while the stench from the mall's sewers has not been resolved despite dialog and help from the City.

During the session, councilors questioned the Session Road barangay officials on why a certificate of no objection was issued to the mall prior to construction. Village chief Cesar Perlata said the mall vowed not to cut a single tree.

Peralta also noted that the mall presented all permits from the environment department and said the property is private, saying there was nothing left to do but sign the request.

When asked by Councilor Michael Lawana and Arthur Allad-iw, Nestor Donaal from the Environment and Management Bureau said consent of the public through a consultation and city approval of the SM project was not needed to issue an Environment Compliance Certificate [ECC] under the department's guidelines.

Donaal said consultation for the SM was done and an ECC was given in 2000 and amended thereafter.

The Council agreed to take the issue anew with Mayor Maurico Domogan in an Executive-Legislative meeting next week but it resolved to summon the management of SM City Baguio anew.