BAGUIO City Mayor Mauricio Domogan ordered selected government agencies to convene a task force to conduct an investigation on the alleged unhealthy operations of the controversial Camp 7 batching plant.
The City Health Services Office, City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) and the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) were tasked by the mayor in the reconvening of the task force in the implementation of the pertinent provisions of the city’s Environment code among other noticeable violations.
The local chief executive noted it is high time for the controversial cement batching plant to be closed citing threat to the health of the people living in the vicinity aside from the nuisance it causes while operating which are violation of Ordinance No. 18, series of 2016 or the city’s Environment code.
“We have to take drastic measures to close the operation of the controversial batching plant which has been the subject of numerous verbal complaints from affected residents and motorists over the past several years. We already gave the operator the leeway to voluntarily move out of the residential area but it seems our repeated appeals have fell on deaf ears because of the greed for greater income,” Domogan stressed.
The mayor also took note of the previous commitment of William Tan, owner of the controversial cement batching plant, to voluntarily move out of the area and transfer to a still undisclosed place in Tam-awan but a good number of years have passed and such promise remained unfulfilled by the businessman.
According to Domogan, the task force should jointly conduct the required inspection the soonest and for the members to submit their consolidated findings and recommendations for the possible closure of the batching plant so that he will implement whatever drastic moves that will be undertaken to once and for all put an end to the sufferings of the residents leaving around the batching plant.
Domogan expressed disappointment the proprietor of the batching plant is using a questionable decision of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) declaring the city’s anti-batching plant ordinance which was appealed by the city legal office to the Court of Appeals (CA) to cover his continued stay in Camp 7 amidst the vehement opposition from the affected residents.
It can be recalled in 2007, the city adopted Ordinance No. 43, series of 2007 prohibiting the operation of cement batching plants around the city because of the nuisance that it poses to the public.
Domogan claimed it is still best for the operator to comply with his long standing commitment to relocate to a place outside the city because of the numerous problems that it poses to the health and the environment of the city as a whole.
The task force will be setting the guidelines for the scheduled inspection of the questioned batching plant so actions will be consolidated for the further needed action of the local chief executive. Dexter See/Baguio City PIO