BAGUIO CITY—The Cordillera office of the Environmental Management Bureau has recommended a moratorium in the construction of hotels, restaurants, and condominiums to the local government while awaiting the expansion of the city’s sewage treatment plant.
The sewage plant, located at South Sanitary Camp, is a facility built through the assistance of the Japan International Cooperating Agency in the early 1980s and is already operating beyond its allowable capacity, EMB-CAR regional director Reynaldo S. Digamo said.
Digamo underscored that no more connections should be done to the city’s existing sewerage system as this is detrimental to Baguio and can increase effluence along the Balili River, a violation of existing laws.
Based on the data obtained by the EMB-CAR technical personnel from the city government, Digamo said the sewerage treatment plant was designed to accommodate a maximum of 8,500 cubic meters of wastewater per day, but it is now receiving more than 12,000 cubic meters per day.
“The continuous construction of commercial and residential structures that connect to the city’s sewerage treatment plant will further burden the facility and will definitely contribute to the increase in the pollution of the Balili River, another ground for the issuance of a notice of violation to the local government wherein the city could again be imposed huge fines per day of violation,” he stressed.
The EMB-CAR recently hosted a forum with the owners and operators of hotels, restaurants, condominiums and other establishments and tourist facilities in the city, as well as neighboring La Trinidad and Tuba towns.
The stakeholders discussed issues related to existing buildings without waste water treatment facilities, overloaded city sewerage treatment plant, proliferation of backyard piggeries in urban areas that pollute the Balili and Bued rivers, encroachments in the 3-meter river easements, proliferation of households without sanitary toilets, facilities and appropriate septic tanks, continuous new construction of buildings allowed to connect to the sewerage treatment plant and alleged inaction of national and local governments on these problems.
Digamo disclosed that the agreed recommendations include the inclusion of granting of environmental permits as part of the requirements for accreditation by the Tourism department of tourism facilities, non-issuance of building permits by the City Buildings and Architecture Office for buildings without waste water treatment facilities, and no more additional sewer connections.
EMB-CAR also wants backyard piggeries in residential areas stopped, in compliance with zoning regulations and other related laws, rules and guidelines; the prosecution of violators and the officials of concerned government agencies and the local government, for their inaction on problems being brought to their attention; public disclosure of erring business establishments; and strict implementation of the setback requirements for vertical structures.
These recommendations will be transmitted to the concerned government agencies and the local government aside from imposing the moratorium, Digamo disclosed.