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Mayor blames migration for environment woes

BAGUIO CITY (June 7) — Baguio City Mayor Braulio D. Yaranon noted that migration remains to be the major culprit in the destruction of the city’s ecology. He said, the uncontrolled influx of people from the lowlands has continually led to the ballooning of population here.

Yaranon said the city, originally designed for only 25,000 people, has been affected by problems like squatting, water shortage, production of large waste and drawbacks in sanitation and health concerns, as a result of population growth. He said, however, that although the city could not stop migration, the government is doing its best to control its underlying effects.

There has been no letup in the city’s campaign against squatters and the city continues to implement anti-squatting laws, according to the mayor.

Aside from checking on migrants, Yaranon said, the city also looks after the water needs of residents by drilling more wells and doing away with the bulk-water supply project by Baguio Water District and Benguet Corporation. He said that programs are in place to address the mounting problem on solid wastes, health and sanitation.

Baguio City was chosen to host this year’s World Environment Day on June 5 to highlight its struggle against environmental problems and to highlight the environmental concerns it has drawn being the country’s Summer Capital. # Aileen Refuerzo/PIO

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APEC calls for Independence Day power shutdown

BAGUIO CITY (June 7) — The party list APEC (Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives) called on electric consumers to undertake a 5-minute power shutdown at 7:00 p.m. on June 12 to demonstrate a widespread opposition to the new law on Value Added Tax (VAT) and put forward issues against the VAT.

“The passage of the new VAT law will impact negatively on the 6.6 million consumers who are mostly rural poor,” according to Edgar Valdez, APEC representative in Philippine Congress.

APEC also questions the exemptions allowed by the new VAT measure on large corporate private utilities like MERALCO and the Visayan Electric Corporation while exacting franchise taxes from non-profit, rural electric cooperatives.

The administration’s plan to increase the lifeline rate, the party list said, will not alleviate the financial difficulties that the rural poor will face because of the VAT. # via NORDIS

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City accepts Jadewell payment as deposit

BAGUIO CITY (June 6) — Baguio City Mayor Braulio Yaranon allowed the city treasurer to accept Jadewell Parking System’s (Jadewell) payment provided the receipts issued to the firm will be marked “accepted for deposit, subject to the outcome of pending cases before judicial and administrative bodies relating to the pay parking transaction”.

The order sprung from the request by Jadewell legal counsel Emiliano Gayo for the city treasurer to process its business permits following the Supreme Court decision citing Yaranon for contempt for refusing to reopen the streets in favor of the parking firm.

Yaranon earlier ordered the closure of the parking spaces previously held by Jadewell in his attempt to “bring back the parks to the people”. # Aileen Refuerzo/PIO

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