Updating Baguio land use, dev’t plans; disposing cut logs

CITY HALL BEAT

Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – The city government will update the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) which outlines the city’s key goals, challenges and programs and policies to attain its vision and mission and the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP), which charts the city’s physical and economic development.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong, In Executive order No. 150 series of 2019 said the city needs to revise the plans to keep up with the new developments.

The updating is also mandated by the Local Government Code and various national government issuances the latest of which is the Dept. of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memorandum Circular 2019-172.

Apart from updating the two crucial plans, the city will also formulate the strategic plan for 2021.

In his order, the mayor formed the City Planning Team and designated Asst. City Planning and Development Coordinator Antonette Anaban as the champion of the team.

The team will serve as overall committee responsible for coordinating all technical and administrative activities in the preparation of the CLUP including stakeholder consultations and meetings and will facilitate the presentation of the draft plans to the City Development Council for endorsement to the city council.

As head of the team, Anaban will be in charge of organizing and mobilizing the team to be composed of a core group which will coordinate the planning activities, drafting and consolidation of the contents of the plans; the support group to provide basic information and administrative support; and the technical working group to assist in the conduct of sectoral/inter-sectoral analysis, validation and reports , surveys, consultations or meetings, workshops and integration or finalization of studies, research findings and consultations.

Her tasks will also include the formulation of the strategic plan, review the vision and mission which will serve as framework in the formulation of strategic plan and updating of other plans, identify the goals, objectives and targets to attaint he vision, assess the implementation of the 15-point strategic goals and development interventions to address them; develop broad program packages, identify projects or activities and determine the budgetary requirements and practice risk-informed planning in the development of such plans. 

The city’s present CLUP along with its implementing ordinance Ordinance No. 63 series of 2016 entitled “Adopting the Revised Comprehensive Zoning Regulations for the City of Baguio and Providing for the Administration, Enforcement and Amendment thereof and for the Repeal of all Ordinances in Conflict therewith” which was ratified by the Housing Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) in 2017 is covers 2013 to 2023.

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Guidelines had been prescribed on the management of logs, lumber and firewood cut and retrieved by the City Environment and Parks Management Office.

In Executive Order No. 153 series of 2019, Mayor Magalong said there is a need to spell out the rules and regulations to complement those stipulated under Section 253, Article 37 of Ordinance No. 18-2016 (Environment Code of Baguio City).

The said section provides that “All felled logs and cut firewood with permits issued by the City Mayor within public lands, parks and forest, except those cut logs issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources shall be used by the City Government of Baguio. These felled logs and firewood shall be deposited at the City Forest Nursery of the City Environment and Parks Management Office or area designated by the same office. These logs and firewood shall only be used for city or barangay projects in a manner prescribed by the City Environment and Parks Management Office.”

Section 254 of the said ordinance also provides that “An applicant who uses the felled logs and cut firewood shall as stated in this Code should pay the corresponding cost estimated by the City Environment and Management Office and/or City Forest Officers. Payment should be made at the City Treasury Office after an order of payment had been issued by the (CEPMO).”

The guidelines will cover those retrieved from the CEPMO’s implementation of the tree management and improvement program where dead and dangerous trees, dead and/or live infested trees are cut and undesirable branches of live trees within road-right-of-ways, city parks and other forest reservations are trimmed.

These logs and branches retrieved are converted into good lumbers for office furniture and fixtures, landscaping materials in the parks, and the rest for firewood purposes, all of which are deposited at the Diplomat Heritage Hill.

The mayor’s executive order will apply to the following requests

All  city  government offices   without   the  capacity   and  appropriations  intended  for furniture  and landscaping fixtures; victims of calamities  like typhoons, landslide and earthquakes  needing  wood resources; poor and  less  fortunate  needing  wood  for  coffin  and  firewood during  vigil and burial of  departed love ones;

 Public schools needing construction materials to improve their classrooms and school facilities; different barangays to support projects which have no funds or appropriations from   either the local or national government; the applicant granted permit to cut tree/s within public lands and other forest reservations for firewood or lumber; and private individuals who are requesting firewood for wedding ceremonies.

The City Mayor may grant requests for wood materials to the city offices, schools and barangays subject to submission of the following documents: letter request; certification of non-availability of funds from concerned office or agency; bill of Materials estimated by CBAO; sketch or design of proposed project; validation, clearance   and/or   recommendation from the Forest and Watershed Management Division of CEPMO; and approval of the mayor or CEPM Officer.

Requests from private individuals may also be granted with the following requirements:  letter request addressed to the City Mayor or CEPM Officer; certification from City Social Welfare Office for calamity victims; certification from the CSWO or Punong Barangay for indigents, less fortunate and the needy; validation, clearance and/or recommendation from the WAMD; and approval of the City Mayor or CEPM Officer.

A minimal fee shall be collected to be paid at the City Treasury Office except for city offices, barangays and victims of calamities: good lumber regardless of length and width -- P 45.00/board foot; lumber with defects (cracks, partially rotten) P30/board foot; and firewood (logs which are not suitable for lumber/branches) -- P400/cubic meter; felled logs suitable  for  lumber  cut with  perm it  issued  by  the  City Mayor to individuals  within  public lands -- P18/board foot; felled logs and branches suitable for firewood cut with  permit issued by the City Mayor to  individuals  within Public Lands -- P400/cubic meter; and aside from the fees, the  applicant is also responsible in the felling of the subject tree/s and slicing logs into desired lumber.