BAGUIO Regreening Movement (BRM), an environment advocacy group, is calling on the local government of Baguio City to stop allowing the construction of high-rise building over the existing eight floors as provided in the city’s building ordinance.
In the weekly Talakayan sa Environment Code radio forum of the environmental movement, BRM chairman Erdolfo Balajadia was alarmed about this development following information reaching him on the alleged increase in height of buildings constructed in the city.
“In connection with our Comprehensive Land Use Plan, something is bothering me because when it was increased from six to eight stories, we were already complaining but this time, we heard that it has been increased to 12 stories. This is very disturbing although I am not very sure if this is true or not,” Balajadia said.
The Comprehensive Land Use Plan (Clup) charts the city’s physical and economic development with the aim of preserving the city’s ecological balance.
“I don’t know what will happen to us particularly on the services being dished out by Baguio City if high rise buildings were to spread in the city. If it is true that the authorized stories to be built in the city is at 12, then BRM is vigorously objecting to this and probably the city should consider whether it will go through with this increase in height,” Balajadia said.
The Clup was approved by the city council through Resolution No. 306 series of 2016 after years of study and consultations with the various sectors of society is geared toward attaining sustainable development.
Based on the existing Clup of the Baguio City, construction of buildings over eight stories high is allowed provided it undergoes the necessary soil testing.
“In other words, more than eight stories is allowed depending on the existing circumstances but I cannot accept that because to my mind that is too high and it will require a lot of remedies and funding for the City of Baguio to provide for services because this will increase,” Balajadia stated.
Architect and urban planner Jody Alabanza said what is very critical in this situation is for people to look at what the implications of high-rise buildings in the city would be.
“If people starts putting up high rise buildings in the City of Baguio, where will you bring the solid waste disposal, your liquid waste disposal and density in that area will create traffic congestion, pollution and so on. It’s not right to say let’s put up eight stories or 10, no! We’ve got to study the implications of that and negative things coming out stronger than the positive and we’d like to preserve Baguio, we’d like to preserve nature in Baguio, and once you have all this, then Baguio is gone,” Alabanza added.