AFTER failing to attend numerous invitations from the city council, Globe Telecom finally sent a representative to answer questions pertaining to the concerns of residents from Upper Market Subdivision Barangay on the long-term effects of electromagnetic radiation which apparently causes cancer among the residents.
Atty. Solgrandioso David Jr., head for Corporate Regulatory Compliance of Globe Telecom appeared before the city council during their regular session last Monday to refute the health issues raised by the said residents. The affected residents previously requested the council for the removal or transfer of the said Globe Tower and the city council in 2008 passed resolution 239 supporting Barangay Resolution no. 27, series of 2008 (A resolution requesting for the cancellation of business permit of Globe Tower and its continued operation which are detrimental to the health, peace and tranquility among the constituents of Upper Market Subdivision Barangay) of Upper Market Subdivision Barangay, Baguio City and for Globe Telecommunications to relocate its tower.
During Monday’s deliberations however, Atty. David said that the case is a subject of a previous case before the Housing Land Use and Regulatory Board (HLURB) sometime in 2004 wherein HLURB ruled in favor of the said company that they can install cell sites in residential areas. He added that prior to the construction of a tower, they send appropriate technical details to the Department of Health for their evaluation and study and almost all cell sites were given a go signal by the DOH after passing the radiation test. But the council reiterated that the said company needs to provide documents to the city council to support their claims about the safety of their towers. For their part, David said they will ask the Radiological Devices Bureau of DOH which is the proper authority to conduct an actual field survey on the said area to determine if there is indeed a health issue that needs to be addressed. He further stated that once proven that the said tower posts danger to the residents, the telecom company will immediately dismantle the cell site.
Meanwhile the council set another meeting for the said company to present all the documents requested by the council and also for their comments on some of the matters raised by the body. They likewise invited members of the affected residents to be present on the said meeting set on September 26, 2016.