• RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
The Bago City Government-run Buenos Aires Mountain Resort, located at Barangay Ilijan, which was reopened only on September 12, has ceased operations after the Environment Management Bureau (EMB) discovered the resort’s non-compliance with environmental permits.
Based on the advisory released by the Mayor’s Office, the city-run resort failed to secure the requisite Environmental Compliance Certificates (ECC) and other EMB permits since its operation several years ago.
The non-compliance to environmental clearances was only found out after the EMB discovered several mountain resorts in the city operating without complete permits, which included Buenos Aires.
Bago City Mayor Marina Javellana-Yao voluntarily ordered the closure of the resort until the permits are fully complied with.
Several concerned agencies of the city are currently working closely towards the compliance with the required permits so that the resort will be able to resume operations.
“Our efforts to ensure the environmental compliance of our tourism destinations in the city of Bago highlight our commitment to help our tourism establishments and stakeholders to strictly observe environmental requirements and to encourage their active involvement in stirring the economic activities in the city,” the Office of the City Mayor said.
The city recently created a Taskforce on Environmental Compliance and Tourism Area Development, which seeks to investigate the environmental compliance certificates (ECC) of mountain resorts in the city, which was established after the discovery of several resorts operating without permits.*
