BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan called on owners of environmentally critical businesses ,like cement batching plants among others, to stay away from populated areas in the city if they do not want to be subjected to constant complaints that will definitely affect their operations.
The local chief executive claimed the completeness of the permits issued to cement batching plant operators like the one based in Camp 7 is not an assurance that the plant will not be ejected from the area because of valid complaints from the neighborhood.
“We do not want to antagonize investors in our city but they should also consider the effects of their businesses to their neighborhood prior to the establishment of their facilities in populated areas in the city,” Domogan stressed.
He pointed out the interest of the greater majority will always be the primordial consideration in deciding complaints lodged against the operation of environmentally critical projects, such as the Camp 7 batching plant, thus it is best for the management of the plant to start looking for a place to relocate its facilities pursuant to what the owner committed to him during previous meetings.
According to him, it is not good to do business when the neighborhood complains often about the negative effects of one’s business to the environment and the health of the people.
Domogan said the appeal is addressed to all environmentally critical businesses in the city to prevent the impression that the Camp 7 batching plant is being singled out.
He added it just happened that he had been receiving numerous complaints against the operation of the Camp 7 batching plant from concerned neighborhood residents that is why it is being used as an example.
He claimed the owner of the Camp 7 cement batching plant is financially capable of relocating the plant to an area where there will be lesser impacts to people and environment. While it is true that the city’s anti-batching ordinance has been subjected to legal question, he emphasized that it should not be used as an excuse for the establishment of such plants within the city citing similar businesses have relocated somewhere.
Domogan explained the owner of the Camp 7 batching plant should comply with his commitment to relocate to avoid complaints from the local residents, saying that the management should always consider the plight of the greater majority in the area over personal gain and interest./By Dexter A. See
