BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera Office of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA-CAR) underscored the prematurely published results of the commissioned study on the carrying capacity of Baguio City are still not conclusive as the initial report presented by the consultant was a very raw material still subject to scrutiny by technical experts.
NEDA-CAR Regional Director Milagros Rimando stated in an interview during the One for the Road Program aired over RPN-DZBS that the standards used by the consultant in formulating the study’s recommendations were questioned by the technical people considering that the same might not be actually applicable in the case of Baguio City so the consultant has to make the required re-computations and revisions on the report to conform with the current situation in the city.
She pointed out what was evident in the study is that Baguio City has not yet breached its supposed carrying capacity but it is actually nearing the limits of this supposed carrying capacity.
“We want to come out with a definite report on the carrying capacity of Baguio through the commissioned study and we are extra careful in dealing with the initial report presented by the consultant. We have to put things in their proper perspective to enable us to project the true situation in the city,” Rimando stressed.
The NEDA-CAR official disclosed the study on the carrying capacity of Baguio City is the first to be done in the country thus the agency wants to make it a reasonable one which could be used by other agencies in determining the carrying capacity of other localities in the different parts of the country.
According to her, one of the standards used by the consultant which was questioned was the 60-40 ratio on forested and built-up areas compared to the prevailing situation in the city wherein there is a 26-74 percent ratio on forested and built up areas.
Further, she claimed the technical people also raised an issue on the basis of 1,000 people having to use a kilometer of road, among other similar issues, which compels the consultant to go back to the drawing board and review the standards compared to the actual situation in the city.
Rimando pointed our another issue raised in the discussion was the fact that only 44 percent of the city is being supplied with water by the Baguio Water District (BWD) ignoring residents who get their supply from deep wells in their residences and from water deliveries.
She revealed the consultant will be coming out with a more detailed report by next month to be presented to stakeholders before the same will be made available to the public for their consideration and appreciation and to serve as guide for policy makers and decision makers in formulating programs, projects and activities suitable in addressing the problems of the city, a melting pot of different cultures from various parts of the world.
By HENT
Banner photo by Armando M. Bolislis
