Panagbenga and pollution

EDITORIAL

With the start of Panagbenga or Baguio Flower Festival, expect the summer capital to become more polluted with entry of vehicles from Metro Manila and elsewhere. The city is becoming more polluted by the day. 

The city government had been trying to mitigate this by checking smoke from vehicles and imposing fines. But then with Baguio having many tourist sites, the latest of which is La Presa, the supposedly rustic village up Mt. Santo Tomas  popularized in atelenovela about a rich young man stricken with love for a Cordilleran farmer girl, vehicle influx is up.

Nearly P4 million was collected as polluters’ fee in 2014 from smoke-belching vehicles, according to City Environment and Parks Management Office, Wastewater, Water and Ambient Air Management Division head Moises Lozano.

Last year, diesel-fed vehicles contributed P2,808,200 in fees, while gas/LPG-fed smoke-belching motors put in P1,136,600; for a total of P3,944,800, paid at City Treasurer’s Office.

The report was delivered during recent Alay Sa Kalinisan, Inc.  meeting at city hall and presided by Mayor Mauricio Domogan, with General Services Officer Romeo Concio as co-chair.

Domogan noted for 2014, number of passing vehicles increased, with 3,933 (70%) passing, of the 5,619 diesel-fed vehicles checked; and only 30% or 1,686 failing the smoke-belching test. Of the 2,868 gas/LPG-fed motors checked, 1,869 (65%) passed, and 999 (35%) failed.

 In 2014, owners of 1,000 diesel-fueled vehicles were fined for first time violation, 346 for second offense, and 200 for third. Some 670, 115, and 35 gas-fueled vehicles were also fined for smoke.

According to ASK report, there were 493 diesel and 245 gas/LPG checking and monitoring operations of smoke-belching in different roadsides in the city; Bokawkan road, along UP drive, Magsaysay avenue, near the La Trinidad boundary, Pacdal, Upper Session road and other roads.

Smoke-belching for the first, second and third time are meted P1,000; P2,000; and P3,000 penalties, respectively. Other collections came from testing fees and repeated offenses.

Vehicles checked were school service cars, buses, vans, jeepneys, taxis, motorcycles, private vehicles and even government services.

Private vehicles’ passing rate was higher at 75.63% (1863 diesel-fed vehicles), and 64.10% (1423 gas/LPG-fed vehicles) from the 3,285 vehicles tested.

A passing rate of 70.27% (52) for diesel-fed and gas/LPG-fed vehicles at 70.97 (22) from the 74 government vehicles tested, was recorded.

Included in Lozano’s report was ambient air quality monitoring and Salaknib ti Waig program.

Air quality was checked at Malcolm Square, Happy Homes Old Lucban, Burnham Park, City Social Welfare and Development Office grounds, Igorot Garden, University of the Philippines Baguio Campus, Bell church, Veterans Park, Kabayanihan barangay hall, Naguilian road and Dominican rd and was reported as “fair.” As to the index, the air in said areas is generally clean. 

Near the Baguio City Police Office, intersection of Abanao and Kayang street, the air is considered unhealthy for sensitive persons; while at Upper Session road near the Post Office, City Hall grounds, Diplomat Heritage Park Dominican Hill, Camp John Hay, Scout Barrio barangay Hall, Pacdal Circle, Mines View are all considered good.

Lozano also reported on activities along the Balili-Sagudin, Bued, and Galiano-Asin rivers. There were no activities for Ambalanga-Agno river, it was known.

Fifteen barangays cleaned the Galiano-Asin River hauling away 4.68 tons of waste. For Bued river there were 12 barangays, 3 adoptors, and 429 participants, with 2.99 tons of waste cleared away.

For Balili-Sagudin River, there were 36 barangays who cleaned up the 34.6 tons of waste, with 11 adoptors and 2194 persons participating in the activities.

Simply put, Baguio is not spared from effects of so-called progress and modernization.