Environmental group Baguio Regreening Movement (BRM) repeated its plea to ban mining within Baguio City.
BRM said provision on no mining activities within the territorial boundary of the city should be returned, which was eliminated in the creation of the City Environment Code.
The passage of Presidential Proclamation 414 and 517 excluded particular areas of Baguio City from the Baguio Townsite Reservation.
Lawyer Erdolfo Balajadia repeated the call for the return of the environmental provision during the weekly Talakayan sa Environmental Code forum.
“If the two proclamations are non – existent, then, I urge the City Council to return the provision on the activity of mining in the environment code on the version that they want for as long as that specific provision is there,” Balajadia was quoted in a Sunstar report.
Baguio City Congressman Marquez Go has confirmed that proclamations passed by former President Carlos Garcia in 1957 removed documents pertaining to mineral reservations in the city,
“If What Congressman Go is saying is true, then there is no law present regarding this matter. This would have been the local law that would have covered matters regarding mining activities in the city which is why I urge the City Council to bring back the provision on mining in the Environment Code,” Balajadia reiterated.
Proclamation 414 Proclamation 572 will only take effect upon approval of Congress.
However, Go said there were no laws passed by Congress concurring with the President’s Proclamation 414 and 572.
