Baguio City Rehabilitation upkeep tourism sustainability

January 13, 2020 Headlines

BAGUIO CITY – (January 10, 2020) – Baguio City’s upkeep from the brink of urban decay is attuned with the national government’s thrust towards sustainable tourism. Rehabilitation efforts in Baguio City is just a start among initiatives to rejuvenate the city from deteriorating further, tourism chief Bernadette Puyat said at the multi-stake holders’ meeting kicking off Baguio City’s planned re-development at The Mansion on Friday.

A previous commitment of the DOT of a P480 million funding for the upkeep of Burnham Park is a beginning of more commitments for Baguio. While interior secretary Eduardo Año stressed a clarification that Baguio’s rehabilitation would not be like Boracay’s closure from tourist but concerted efforts mindful of the environment and strict implementation of laws.

The situation in Baguio is much different and that the present administration of the Baguio City Government has visible efforts in re-development of the city.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said they are into dishing out possible ways to rehabilitate Baguio City but employing 4 c’s –coordination, cooperation, collaboration and communication. A strategic plan is being ironed out to usher Baguio’s future for the next 15 years, he said.

With national government’s backing, Magalong said, nobody or no one can prevent or block the pathway for a better Baguio. Though he said rehabilitation would give premium to respect for human rights and people’s interest.

Puyat, who noted that Baguio City “is now different”, cites “there is hope in the horizon (for Baguio).” Baguio should be a beacon of a shining moment, she added.

Año while inciting everyone to join in the concerted call for Baguio’s redevelopment trained his urgent call to Baguio’s local officials to brave all in the name of implementing laws towards the city’s upkeep. He assured Baguio residents they will benefit in the end, though acknowledging some sectors will be affected.

”We do not want Baguio to be called the highest Smokey Mountain”, referring to the huge mountain heaps of garbage in Metro Manila. March to the drumbeat of environmental health, he asked Baguio residents.

Rep. Marquez Go warned his home’s development should not be done by the national government but the city “supported by the national government.” Development should not be biased to tourists but both for tourists and locals alike, he reiterated. Baguio’s progress, the lawmaker stressed, should be “people-centric” that is geared towards improving the quality of life.

He said he wants to see a balance of sustainable development and the environment. A strategic rather than tactical solution must be in place, Go further added, to set Baguio’s strategic outlook for the next 5- 10-15-20 years.

Magalong admitted that his plans for Baguio might outlive him as the city’s executive, but specific for Burnham Park, the main park in the city, the upkeep is doable.

Aside from Burnham Park’s upgrade, the city’s Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) is one among those along the urgent timelines that Mayor Magalong said would be soon done in the city.

Grand plans for other tourist spots in the city also gave excitement for Magalong to get pursued including making the Baguio City market as a “state-of-the-art” market in Southeast Asia.

“We are fully backing the Mayor on the rehabilitation concepts,” both said Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan and Councilor Lourdes Tabanda, one of the veteran local legislators here. “But the details (of these) have to be discussed,” the lady councilor explained.

Environment chief Roy Cimatu, represented by Assistant Secretary Jesus Salazar also committed the DENR’s full support in Baguio’s dream to redevelop via balancing regulatory approaches in environmental management. “Enforcement (of environmental laws) is not an option but a must,” Cimatu stressed in his speech read by Asec. Salazar. “We will respect IPs and promote social justice (in this endeavor),” he urged.

Artemio A. Dumlao/ABN