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2015 Holcim Philippines-PPI JASCOR Winners and Finalists Community Newspaper Category Winner: Bottles for Walls Yas Ocampo Mindanao Times Aug. 9, 2014 Finalists: Construction Materials Linked to Health Problems JM Agreda Baguio Chronicle Nov. 8-14, 2014 Curing the Ills of Overdevelopment Hanna Lacsamana Baguio Midland Courier Aug. 31, 2014 When Development Becomes a Bane Rimaliza Opiña Baguio Midland Courier Aug. 31, 2014 Urban Migration: A Threat to the Summer Capital Harley Palangchao Baguio Midland Courier Aug. 31, 2014

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WINNER Bottles for Walls Yas Ocampo Mindanao Times Aug. 9, 2014 A building is no mere structure. For some, it is the heart of the community. Such was the case in a small community in Puan, where advocates of sustainable architecture decided to reach out to a community of churchgoers to rebuild what has been for years a sanctuary for their faith. This concept of the building as the heart of the community became the focus of the Panigurado Workshop, organized by design consultancy Switotwins, Inc. For almost a week, architects, students, and members of the church gathered together to rebuild the soul of its community, a humble church structure that could hold around 60 to 70 churchgoers for services, as well as other community activities, in an 8x12-meter space. And the workshop is no mere lecture series. In the end, the tangible goal of the project is the rebuilding of the church in a more sustainable design: according to building standards, as well as being made from recyclable material. The workshop tackled several important construction concepts that twins and project proponents Gloryrose and Glorypearl Dy said would be replicated in other church communities in the future. The project design of the workshop series aims to inculcate the value of peace, unity within the community and the interaction between cultures. The church building has walls made of recycled bottles as its main architectural element. Walls and windows would incorporate bottles gathered by the community which will be used into both aesthetic and functional purpose. For the entire week, the community was given a crash course of basic building design concepts, as well as structural standards such as the National Building Code, site investigation, documenting, layout, staking and excavation, basic carpentry, and foundations. The project combined the use of classic construction materials and techniques, including new technology to facilitate the project.

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In an interview with the TIMES, Arch. Evan Gleece Casas said that the idea has already been in use, especially in areas such as Tacloban for an ‘earthship’ type home made of recycled materials. Casas said the design approach has many benefits: costs would be reduced, as communities in immediate need of building a structure no longer need to spend too much for materials; and time would be reduced, as the community can immediately start building the structure with minimal supervision from architects and engineers, not to mention the hauling time for the construction materials from the hardware to the communities (in the case of areas that are far from the source of their materials.) While there has been little research on material compression and tensile strength regarding the use of the bottles as construction materials, Casas said that designers are careful. “Of course we can’t use the items as beams,” she said. In cases where the bottles are used, the walls are not load-bearing but are incorporated into it with proper foundation and footing. Bottles are unbelievable strong, though. Casas said the bottles replace the need for steel reinforcement in small structures such as the church. One can imagine how much steel costs. Casas said the concept is being proposed in disaster areas such as the typhoon affected parts of Mindanao. However, further studies on wind resistance are required to affirm if these structures could be used as emergency shelters. Aside from Casas, other lecturers include architects Ericson Europa and Mary Catherine Diaz, who lectured on the use of lumber and foundations, as well as the basics of building standards. Amusing, too, is how the events are titled appropriately in a language easily understandable by the community, such as “Sa wood ko hawod” and “Magamit pa ni: Using recycled bottles on walls.” Essentially, the project speaks a language that we all understand. Homes are no mere Lego compendiums of roofs walls and other parts; homes comprise the people who build them. This is where the project takes its baby steps, hopping from one community to the next, one church at a time. As of this week, the church is already taking shape, with the initial parts of the walls already up. And the measure of progress? It’s not just the completion of the structure itself. Perhaps it would be how the community can create, as a group, a sense of wholeness through the reinforcement of the church, the soul of the village.

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FINALIST Construction Materials Linked to Health Problems JM Agreda Baguio Chronicle Nov. 8-14, 2014 HAZARDOUS chemicals in paints and other materials used in construction of buildings make workers less productive and eventually result to various ailments. This was disclosed, short of a warning, recently by Architect Rosette Santos, the technical consultant of the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation or IFC. According to Santos, studies made by IFC showed ‘green buildings’ should not only be environmentally-sound but also should be healthy buildings to encourage more productivity in the workplace. Using non-toxic and sustainable materials in building construction is as important as using energy efficient components in constructing green buildings, she said. Prolonged exposure to volatile organic compounds often present in paints, coating materials and other construction implements, she added, may cause construction-related illnesses (also termed as “Sick Building Syndrome”) and may eventually lead to death of the building’s occupants. The proposed National Green Building Code, which will eventually be implemented by June next year, requires building officials to also impose the construction of healthy buildings aside from just being compliant with the National Building Code which ensures buildings to be safe and structurally sound. With the National Green Building Code, building officials may now require and specify which materials to use to ensure that materials used in construction will not harm the occupant’s health. For example, paints, coatings, adhesives and sealants used indoors and in non-ventilated areas may now be prohibited if it contains volatile organic compounds that do not fit within tolerable levels for humans. Use of wood components, she added, may now be prohibited if it contains formaldehyde. This as she stressed materials containing chemicals used in construction should not compromise the health of building occupants. Santos’ discussion is just one among many of the components of the proposed National Green Building Code being completed by the Department of Public Works and Highways or DPWH until next year.

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The National Building Code and Development Office’s Executive Director, Atty. Johnson Domingo, said the Green Building Code consultations started in Baguio and will continue in the National Capital Region this month and the rest of the regions nationwide to get inputs from stakeholders on green building design and construction until March 2015. Aside from health concerns, the Code also addresses environmental and climatic issues to safeguard properties and general welfare consistent with principles of sound environmental management and control. According to the IFC, some 30 percent of greenhouse gases come from buildings and these harmful gases are the cause of climate change. This concern compounded with a growing demand for electricity will only be addressed by shifting to green buildings.*

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FINALIST Curing the Ills of Overdevelopment Hanna Lacsamana Baguio Midland Courier Aug. 31, 2014 At 105 years old, Baguio City has gone a long way. Since it has been laid out and dissected on the blueprint during Arch. Daniel Burnham’s time up to the present, many of its potentials that have been realized didn’t disappoint. If it were a child, it was the most ideal one that has satisfactorily done its bidding. It grew the way we wanted it to be, and more. A summer capital? An educational center, tourist hub, business center, haven for all sorts of agents and professionals, a wedding and convention capital? Name it. Our Baguio performed it all and very well. A parent could not have been prouder and more satisfied. Be careful what we wish for Why the grumbles, then? Complaints, one after the other, started sounding off way before the city reached its milestone centenary in 2009. Temperatures rising, watersheds and forest reservations encroached upon, seeing and breathing smoke rather than the proverbial fog, pine trees being replaced by residential and commercial structures left and right, streets overburdened with vehicles, longing for the almost inexistent smell of pine, and traffic becoming the favorite excuse for tardiness in a city once known for walking with ease. It would seem, somebody has left the paint jar open with an over-eager child who unwittingly made a palimpsest on a canvas of the original Baguio City. Now, the battle cry is for bringing back the old Baguio that we once knew and lived in, and preserve what was left of it. A tall order and gargantuan task, for we have to answer some questions. Which old Baguio do we want to preserve? What developments, in the first place, do we want Baguio to undergo? Can we undo what Baguio has become? Are there solutions to the problems we now have as a result of dealing with the inevitable changes Baguio and its people had to face? Would we take it upon ourselves to solve these challenges? Do we – the city government and the constituents – have what it takes to cause these solutions? Do we have the will and means? First is trying to accept the bitter pill.

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Bitter pill: Making up our minds Going back and preserving the old Baguio we once knew is one thing. Identifying what part of that old Baguio we are referring to is another. Elvis Palicdon, a member of the United Architect of the Philippines-Baguio, posts the question: “What old Baguio are we talking about in the first place? Is it 1900s, 1920s, 1960s? Is it last year, or a decade ago? Many would just say the old Baguio, but we have to be specific, so we would know what we really want.” Palicdon, born and a practicing architect in the city, also asked what aspect we want to preserve: Is it the climate, environment, the trees, or the number of people and structures? “Then up to what point? We have to make up our mind on what we would like Baguio to become,” Palicdon said. What is seen as an ideal period many old timers feel nostalgic about is Baguio’s peak during the American occupation, when the city was in the limelight and earned its summer capital tag. Back then, a sufficient number of structures and facilities were built for a particular number of residents and amenities for the Americans’ temporary stay. What attracted the Americans were the same reasons nearby folks also came to this mountain city, either to visit or build summer houses, followed eventually by those who wanted to do business, to find a job, and to settle in the city. At that time, the city crafted and had in place laws to control the growth of Baguio, which Palicdon opined, has not been maintained through the years. The population still burgeoned along with all sorts of structures needed to cater or support the needs of the population. In a sense, what Baguio is at this point is a product of its people’s doing. We flourished along with the many opportunities that the city and the people themselves encouraged. As the income of the city and all the constituents doing business here increased, so is the costs required to provide for services and infrastructure, as reflected on the city’s annual budget through the years. Palicdon said Burnham indeed designed the city for 25,000 individuals, but it was also expected it would grow just like other places after some time. Regulating measures, in fact, were put in place by the early officials to deal with and adjust to a growing population. The problems the city is experiencing now are just manifestations that the regulations have not been applied in the strictest sense. “If these were applied, then we would not have been experiencing all these problems right now. Expect Baguio to grow but it should be an acceptable, controlled growth,” Palicdon said.

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It comes to a point that the growth that the city has become a bully. “We wanted and invited development. But when people came, we complain there’s no space left. We should have known these problems will happen.” “So we should focus on the specific things like the environment, the structures, urban growth, population, so that we can zero in on what is there that really has to be preserved, and then we decide on what we want.” Development + mitigating plan = sustainable environment A thorough architect-builder knows it to be the principal rule. Palicdon said if you introduce something, there has to be a corresponding mitigating measure or support facility to come up with a sustainable environment. “There’s already imbalance if we build something without the corresponding facility to support it.” A comprehensive study is required. Palicdon said when planning to build a 10-story building, first factor to consider is location, followed by its impact to the environment, and if such can be mitigated. “We could excavate on a mountain. But what are the negative effects of our plan? When we build a house in a forest, certainly the ecosystem will be disturbed. Living patterns of surrounding communities will have to adjust. Are they amenable to that? Could they handle the change? Could we address the imbalance?” “We must know that once we push through with it, the character of the area will be lost, such as one that was supposed to be for residential would already become commercial. Could we mitigate the impact? Is it allowed by law? ” He said every architect or builder has to consider these. It is for this reason there are requirements such as environmental compliance certificate as required by the national government and compliance to city ordinances on buildings especially in a city that has a unique terrain, like Baguio. Palicdon said this, unfortunately, has not been completely applied in Baguio. Why? Because the city experiences these current problems. “We see the traffic. We are overpopulated. What we see are eyesores. “It is very obvious there’s no control. At times when we do not agree to a certain development, we don’t have the legal basis to say no, you cannot do that or you cannot build that or you cannot build using that design. There is no specific form of regulation.” Throwback, going green to preserve what’s left

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While the city’s CBD obviously can no longer accommodate more structures with its current overcrowded state, there is still room, in fact, for “expansion.” The architect said this doesn’t require space, as many structures in the CBD are not being maximized, some even have not been in use at all for years now. Instead of fitting in new development, Palicdon opined something might be done with these buildings like the old hotels that have been not been in business or structures that have been left unused for a long time. It might be better these serve for other purposes and help reduce the need for more space. Control, however, is something a building designer could not impose on a person planning to put up a structure as far as design is concerned. One can only go as far as assuring that the planned project is feasible and following the basic rules in construction. Palicdon agrees it would be a nice thought if owners adopt environment-friendly features in building their houses or commercial establishments as this would help not only in mitigating effects of climate change but also in promoting a sustainable way of development. Though it is part of their advocacy, he said what they can do to realize sustainable construction is only is to suggest or recommend to their clients to adopt green building concepts because cost and understanding of the concept have to be considered. Cohesive decision in CLUP, political will, active stakeholders Palicdon says political will, stakeholders, and the implementation of laws – or the lack of it – are the crucial factors in achieving a sustainable growth for Baguio. Since Baguio has nowhere to go but move forward, it should have a vision that is reached through a cohesive decision of every stakeholder, not only by a few. He said the public, may they be Baguio old timers or migrants as well as visitors, should be actively involved in the crafting of the city’s plans in terms of classifications of zones and uses of its lands and resources. To preserve what is left of the city, everyone should be active, for instance, during this period when the city government is crafting the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP), so that suggestions are discussed, considered, and voted upon by the majority. Aside from that, the citizens should take it upon themselves to follow city laws and be on guard by actively involving themselves in the monitoring of its implementation. “Though it is the job of the government to implement and monitor, the citizens’ job in seeing to it these measures are followed is equally crucial.” It would boil down to a two-way process: political will of the city officials and the residents’ active participation.

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“We may not be able to preserve Baguio the way it was, but we could have a controlled growth, where what we wanted are defined, and both the government and the people are seeing to it these are followed,” he said.

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FINALIST

When Development Becomes a Bane Rimaliza Opiña Baguio Midland Courier Aug. 31, 2014 The 1900s may historically be considered as the era when the Rancheria called Kafagway was slowly transformed into a trade center. When Commandante Guillermo Galvey established his commandancia in La Trinidad in 1846 and moved the presidentia to Kafagway, a ranch with about 20 houses, the Spaniards later established churches, schools and trails, which hastened trade in the area. It was this setup which Americans saw in the 1900s. In 1904, urban planner Daniel Burnham arrived in what is to be known as Baguio and began planning a “garden city.” That time, Baguio was beginning to be known as an alternative destination from the humidity of the lowlands. This became a magnet for immigrants, notwithstanding the lull Baguio experienced during the 1990 earthquake and the meningococcemia scare in 2004. While economy prospered, effects of a growing population were slowly felt. In fact, as early as the 1960s, the city council passed several measures ranging from regulating traffic and reserving several lots for future government needs. Back then, they saw that several decades from their time, population will grow exponentially. As of the 2010 census, the National Statistics Office said Baguio’s population stands at 318,676, which means for every square kilometer, there are more than 5,000 people. By 2015, population is estimated to reach 334,562. The National Statistical Coordination Board said this will double in 30 years. As population steadily grew, use of resources such as water also increased. Moratorium In 2009, former councilor Perlita Rondez proposed a one-year moratorium in the construction of new buildings. She said this will give breathing space for Baguio. At the time, commercial buildings began to rise in areas where previously, a height limit was imposed. Her proposal remained archived. But recently, the Baguio Water District suggested a similar proposition – for the city government to pass a resolution declaring a moratorium on the development of new subdivision projects, until such time that a viable water supply is found. “Development has to slow down in Baguio,” BWD General Manager Salvador Royeca told the

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city council in its June 9 session. He said hotels and subdivisions require an additional demand for water. He also asked the city council to pass an ordinance regulating the use of deepwells as this depletes aquifers of water supply. The 2010-2011 Business Risk Assessment research done by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature and Bank of the Philippine Islands Foundation showed extensive real estate development in Baguio impedes water recharge in aquifers. “Baguio City has a serious water problem. This will get worse if Baguio’s population continues to grow at its current rate and more sustainable solutions are not put in place,” the WWF-BPI study said. With demand greater than supply, Royeca said the city government should employ measures to regulate development. BWD data showed total water consumption for 2012 was 8,614,038 cubic meters (m3). Judging from the four-year data collated by the City Planning and Development Office, water consumption showed a steady increase from 2008 to 2012. From 8,059,245m3 in 2008, half a million cubic meters was added to water consumption. The data also showed that while residential consumers are biggest consumers of water, commercial establishments classified as “commercial B” showed a significant contribution in water consumption, albeit the data showed fluctuating figures. Data from the City Buildings and Architecture Office also showed from 2009 to the first quarter of 2012, there were 1,798 building permits issued for residential, commercial, and institutional structures. Challenges Because of lack of space, informal settlers have encroached on watersheds. Currently, the city’s watersheds comprise around 240 hectares of Baguio’s total land area. Busol Watershed happens to be the biggest but along with Forbes Park 1, Forbes Park 2, Forbes Park 3, and Lucnab, land claimants abound in the area. Topography is also a challenge to the BWD. Because of low water pressure, water could not be distributed especially in steep areas. Several barangays depend on deep wells, natural spring sources, and private water delivery companies. The BWD also has a high systems loss pegged at 39 percent. How to conserve abundant rainwater in Baguio is also a challenge not only to the BWD, but also to city officials.

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The average rainfall in Baguio is between 900 to 1,000mm. According to the WWF-BPI, rains become runoff water and flows freely to the rivers. Royeca said a highly concrete environment has contributed to waste of water. He said this water flows out instead of being absorbed by aquifers. The low recharge rate of aquifers also contributes to water shortage, Royeca added. Temporary solution CBAO Officer-in-Charge Johnny Degay said the BWD’s proposition will not entirely solve water shortage. Degay said nothing in the National Building Code prevents a property owner from wanting to develop their property as long as regulations are complied with. “Not unless the building owner is an environmentalist, then they may choose to use ‘Earth-friendly’ materials” However, Degay said this is not an obligation on the part of the owner. “Current regulations are on zoning only,” Degay said. So far, the Local Zoning Board on Adjustments and Appeals now require building owners who intend to build a structure that is more than three stories high to install a rainwater harvester. But he said rainwater collected in buildings is not enough to sustain the water demand for the structure. He said in the end, BWD has to find a source which can give a steady supply of water. Realtors also do not subscribe to the BWD’s suggestion for a moratorium in development. Chamber of Real Estate Builders Association President Edwin Zamora said the BWD’s proposal is counter-productive. He said along with progress, comes development. He said naturally, service providers like the BWD has to provide the demand. Zamora said installation of rainwater harvesting facility is not feasible in commercial establishments as the water collected is for short-term use only. Zamora said the BWD should hasten the bulk water supply project so it could cope with the demand. Councilor Elmer Datuin, chair of the city council committee on tourism, also said the BWD’s proposal curtails commerce. Datuin said the BWD should take its cue from the President’s 2014 State of the Nation Address when he said dams are a more reliable source of water rather than aquifers. The President was referring to the repair of the Kaliwa Dam project in Quezon and the repair of lines of Angat Dam. “We all know that as our population grows and as our economy continues on its upward

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trajectory, the country will need a greater water supply in the coming years. We will not wait for a drought. If we were to rely solely on aquifers, then we would only hasten the sinking of land, which would contribute to flooding.” A water district development sector project under the Local Water Utilities Administration has also been developed to assist water districts all over the country improve their services. Datuin said importation of water via the still pending bulk water supply project remains the best option for Baguio. Sustainable solution The BWD knows that a long-term solution to water shortage in Baguio would indeed be to import water, most likely from neighboring municipalities. Four Manila-based companies have signified intention to conduct a feasibility study. The BWSP has long been stalled after the winning company was disqualified from pursuing the project. LGUs response via the CLUP Hope is not lost however, as the city government is about to approve the Comprehensive Land Use Plan authored by former city council committee on lands chair Isabelo Cosalan Jr. The CLUP added new classifications in zoning which are watershed and protected forest zone, utilities zone, planned unit development zone, airport zone, roads zone, slaughterhouse zone, vacant forested areas zone, and heritage sites. For new structures, Section 23 of the CLUP laid down rules on landscape, heritage, architectural design, and reforestation, which when adopted, and implemented to the letter guarantees there will be no encroachments on watersheds and other vital properties. For landscape, the CLUP provides that all new buildings shall include rainwater harvester which will be used for flushing, watering plants, and cleaning. It also requires housing plots fronting roads to plant at least three trees of low height at maturity and native or endemic plants to preserve biodiversity in the city. The CLUP encouraged owners of buildings within the central business district that could not plant along the roadside to green their rooftops to preserve ambient air quality and for housing plots fronting roads that require a fence to have a uniform design with standards provided by the City Engineering Office.

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It also provides that natural waterways shall be preserved and required utility companies to install underground wires.

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FINALIST Urban Migration: A Threat to the Summer Capital Harley Palangchao Baguio Midland Courier Aug. 31, 2014 Baguio’s vanishing beauty is due to many reasons, but a glaring one is the unabated rural migration to the city after World War II. Having gone way beyond its carrying capacity, the city is fast losing its natural assets and its grandeur as the Summer Capital of the Philippines that it

dearly held for over a century now is gravely threatened.

This city, which has a land area of 57 square-kilometer, now hosts close to 320,000 people, based on the 2010 census. Actual daytime population even reaches almost 400,000, including

domestic and foreign visitors that come in and out of the city. Baguio’s population is steadily growing out of proportion, posting the highest growth rate among the six provinces in the Cordillera from 1990 to 2010. In fact, the city’s population growth rate is higher than the national average based on the national census of 1990, 2000,

and 2010. From its 183,142 population in 1990 or a population growth rate of 3.26 percent, it ballooned to 252, 386 in 2000 with a growth rate of 2.36 percent or an additional 69,244 people in only 10

years time. Baguio’s population in 1990 was almost equal to the population of Mountain Province and Apayao combined, and its 2000 population was equivalent to Apayao and Ifugao population

combined. In 2010, the Population Commission reported Baguio’s population was 318,676, even higher

than the combined population of Apayao and Ifugao or Apayao and Mountain Province. Using the 2010 census as a baseline, Baguio is arguably one of the most densely populated urban areas in the country today with 5,542 people per square kilometer or close to 20 times

higher than the national average.

The ideal standard number of people per sq. km. is 1,000.To stretch the city’s carrying capacity, forest reservations are now inhabited and remaining green patches face serious

threats from more human encroachment.

City opportunities: Bane or boon

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Because of quality education and work opportunities, Baguio beckons. However, these very same assets that have lured rapid migration to the city for almost a half a century now exert

pressure on the city’s fast disappearing natural resources and result in social problems. PopCom Regional Director Rosa Fortaleza explained to Baguio officials as she gave her 5th State of the Philippine Population Report (2010) that migration, not newborn statistics, accounts

more for the city’s high population growth. Baguio has close to 80,000 college students, mostly from the provinces, enrolling in various

higher learning institutions here every school year. Many also decide to stay. There are families from the interior provinces of the Cordillera who migrate to Baguio in search for greener pastures, but work is not easy to come by, and they eventually become part of the

urban poor. Baguio Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda said in 2011, there were already about 72,000 poor

families in the city. Tabanda released this data when she proposed a resolution requesting the national government through concerned agencies led by the Department of Social Welfare and

Development to expand the coverage of pro-poor programs such as the 4Ps. Aside from efforts to address poverty, the city government is also facing an uphill battle to stop squatting and encroachment into forest reserves, government reservations, and watersheds for

human settlement.

The squalor from the squatting problemIn a 1963 article written by former Baguio Midland Courier staff reporter, Gabriel Keith, almost 2,000 families had their houses built on public lands

and reservations without any permit. At that time, the surveyed population per hectare in the city was nine persons, but squatting was already a serious problem. Keith said the squatting problem had already plagued the city

shortly after the Baguio Liberation Day on April 27, 1945. The first “Squatters Ordinance” was passed in December 1962, which gave close to 2,000 families a chance to secure their building permits. The recommendations of the Committee on Squatters’ Relocation were never implemented due to political reasons, a problem which is still

very much apparent to this day.

City watersheds and reservations under threat

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Over time, encroachment into major watersheds and forest reservations has become a serious concern. After the passage of the Indigenous Peoples Rights’ Act, applications for certificates of

ancestral land titles compounded the problem. Today, almost all forest and government reservations in Baguio such as Busol, Buyog, Forbes Park, Baguio Dairy Farm, and Camp John Hay have one thing in common – the threat of

continued human encroachment. While the Supreme Court has allowed the city government to pursue its demolition on illegal

structures of informal settlers at the Busol Watershed, it remains on the drawing board. The city was supposed to carry out the demolition of a concrete residential house in the Busol Watershed in 2009, but the plan was halted due to the intervention of one of the current city

officials. That year, former city administrator and now a city councilor, Peter Fianza, recorded around

900 illegal structures in the watershed, some of which were three-story structures. Thirty-three structures located in three sections of the watershed were set for demolition in July 2009, but the operation was not totally carried out after NCIP Hearing Officer Brain

Masweng issued a temporary restraining order and writ of preliminary injunction. The High Tribunal later cited the NCIP legal officer for contempt for this action, but the problem

of squatting remains.Even the Buyog Watershed, which was proclaimed a forest reserve in

November 1992 covering 20 hectares, is not spared from human encroachment.In 2009, barangay officials of Pinget requested the city for the segregation of 113,193 square meters from the Buyog Watershed. The barangay officials also informed city officials that the residents

constructed their houses in the area in the late 1970s. Buyog Watershed supplies water to the Buyog area, Camdas, Dizon Subdivision, Pinget, and

Quirino Hill. The city government and the Office of the Solicitor General are also currently exhausting legal remedies to invalidate the Certificates of Ancestral Land Titles (CALTs) issued covering parcels

of lots within Forbes Park and other reservations.

Even geo-hazard areas are occupied The Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has reported that structures are built on the surface of areas surveyed to be prone to flash

floods and landslides.

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Geo-hazard areas in Baguio due to flooding and mass movement have been found in City Camp Lagoon, Dominican-Mirador area, Purok 7 in Irisan, a portion of Kennon Road within the city limits, Camps 7 and 8, Mines View, Victoria Village, Purok 3 in Central Fairview, Pacdal, Old

Lucban along Magsaysay, Cabinet Hill, and Lucban. When Typhoon Pepeng hit Baguio and the rest of Luzon in October 2009, it left 49 dead and

four injured in the city due to landslides.

Climate change to trigger rapid migration Recently, Baguio was cited as the most vulnerable among four cities in the country that will experience the economic consequences of climate change, according to a study conducted by

the World Wildlife Fund and the Bank of the Philippine Islands Foundation. Baguio scored the highest vulnerability index based on climate exposure, socio-economic sensitivity, and inverse adaptive capacity. The other cities surveyed by this study titled “Business Risk Assessment and the Management of Climate Impacts” were Cebu, Davao, and

Iloilo. The study says, “The management of urbanization trends and watersheds as well as Baguio’s population growth, will play major roles in defining the continued viability of this city’s

economy.” It noted that the city must explore its opportunity beyond its boundaries and even beyond BLISTT and must identify its unique competences then craft a “climate smart” long-term development plan that defines a regional role for the city within the Cordillera and even Region

1. Further rapid migration is expected since Baguio is likely to become a site for “environmental refugees” when people from the lowlands unable to withstand the increasing temperature start migrating to elevated areas with temperate climate and where basic services and job

opportunities are present. The current state of migration in Baguio also greatly contributes to the marked increase in the

volume of garbage generated from households and business establishments.

BLISTT: An answer to rapid urban migration If Baguio will be effective in convincing Benguet officials that the implementation of the BLISTT concept will bring more socio-economic opportunities to the outlying towns, then it can

address the rapid urban migration.

BLISTT stands for neighboring Baguio, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba, and Tublay.

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The impending adoption of the city’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) is likewise important

because the plan defines use of the various zones in Baguio. The CLUP focuses on the allowed uses within the different zones, sets building heights and the provision of a land use map which will specify the land use allocation of the various zones as

residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and utilities zones. The creation or development of service centers such as those present in Baguio in the other rural areas, especially the emerging urban areas in the Cordillera, such as communication infrastructure, health care centers and education will also help mitigate the rapid migration to this mountain resort.