Baguio: Philippines' coldest city to undergo rehab: DENR

Cordillera - It seems the government is now serious on putting the summer capital of the country under rehabilitation to save from further damage. 

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has announced on Sunday (December 9) that Baguio will be the next ecotourism zone that will undergo rehabilitation. 

It said that the worsening traffic problems and the geo-hazard concerns are the reasons why they are now keen of putting the city on the list of areas they will rehabilitate next. 

According to Environment Undersecretary Benny Antiporda, the plan rehabilitation of Baguio will happen after Boracay, Palawan and Bohol will be finished. 

Antiporda said the government will look into the traffic concerns in the city that gets congested as tourists visits during the holidays. 

Many tourists flock to the summer capital with their cars and that's the cause of the traffic problem. Many cars are travelling along the road but there are no road expansion projects being done.

However, Antipora noted that the road structure of the city is not viable for road expansion. 

"Yan po ay isa rin na kailangan mai-address natin at sad to say, dahil din po sa istruktura ng kaniyang bundok eh hindi natin magawa na ika nga'y magkaroon ng tinatawag ng expansion ng kaniyang mga road network," Antiporda said in an interview via GMA Super Radyo dzBB.

Another concern the government plans to address is air pollution, as many people observed that Baguio no longer has the pine smell just like in the old days. 

The national government will be working with local government unit of Baguio to look into the possibility of adopting e-vehicles which would lessen pollution in the area, according to GMA.

The DENR earlier said that the plan rehabilitation of Baguio do not necessarily mean the city will be closed to people just like what happen in Boracay. 

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