Planning for Green Growth:

The Baguio City Experience

Engr/EnP. Evelyn B. Cayat

City Planning and Development Coordinator

12 March 2019
Naga, Camarines Sur
Outline of Presentation

01 Vision

02 Geophysical Characteristics/
Demography

03 SWOT

04 Mainstreaming Green Growth

 “We want a progressive,
peaceful, clean,
and green Baguio-
A center for education,
trade and family-oriented
tourism-managed by
God-loving and
strong-willed leaders in
partnership with
self-reliant and
disciplined citizenry.”
General Topography
 78% of the total land area are gentle
to moderately steep with slope of
less than 30%

 22% of city’s land area has steep

slopes greater than 30%

 Nestled 5,000 feet above sea level

 Located in the heart of Benguet

Province
 Population (2019):
365,665
Population growth rate(2010-2015):
1.54%
Population density per sq.km.:
6,360 persons/sq.km.
 SWOT
STRENGTHS S
Active tourism sector: core engine of local economy

W T

O
 SWOT
STRENGTHS S
Active tourism sector: core engine of local economy
Seat of sub-national government agencies
Active business sector & export industry
W T

O
 SWOT
STRENGTHS S
Active tourism sector: core engine of local economy
Seat of sub-national government agencies
Active business sector & export industry
Active civil society groups W T
Functional city/barangay governance
Peaceful environment

O
 SWOT
OPPORTUNITIES S
 Rich natural environment
(topography, scenic views, pine trees, historical sites)

W T

O
 T
N
Watershed/Pine Tree Zone:

E
19.04%

M
Parks and recreation areas:

N
1.05%

O
R
I
V
N
E
 SWOT
OPPORTUNITIES S
 Rich natural environment
(topography, scenic views, pine trees, historical sites)
 Rich culture
 Philippines’ first UNESCO creative City
W T

O
 SWOT
OPPORTUNITIES S
 Rich natural environment
(topography, scenic views, pine trees, historical sites)
 Rich culture
 Philippines’ first UNESCO creative City W T
 Baguio City as gateway to the rest of the Cordilleras
 Education Center of the North
 Top Ten Next Wave Cities
O
 SWOT
WEAKNESS
S
• Limited city LGU financial resources to
implement critical projects
• Congestion/overdevelopment in some areas
• Presence of physical constraints (sinkholes, steep
slopes, landslide susceptibility, karst topography)
W T
• High cost of solid/liquid waste management system
• Encroachment of settlements into non-disposable areas
(road-right-of-way, reservations, watersheds, etc.)
O
 SWOT
THREATS
• Inadequate access facilities to Baguio
S
• Need to cope with the requirements
for rapid urbanization
• Occurrence of natural calamities
• Limited areas for habitation/development W T

O
 GREEN GROWTH
Sustained FRAMEWORK
economic
growth

Human Green
development Growth
Preservation,
protection of
natural
environment
Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)
records the fastest economic growth in
2017

CAR recorded a growth of 12.1 percent

 Poverty
incidence
improved from
2.4% to 0.9%
in 2012
 Ordinances Supporting Green Growth

CLUP/Zoning ordinance
Environmental code Requiring construction owners to
Water code plant trees as a condition of
Clean air ordinance issuance of an occupancy permit

Institutionalizing the first week Establishing the Anti plastic ordinance

of June each year as Baguio botanical Garden
City Environment Week as a tree nursery
Encouraging all City residents
to plant fruit bearing trees
 Environmental Development Controls

Landscape Regulations

Heritage

Building Character and Architectural Design

Reforestation / Tree Cutting

Air Quality

Land and Building Management

PA R T N E R S H I P
Government International Private
Agencies
Academe
Organizations Sector CSOs

National Greening Program Regreening efforts and

(NGP)
01 02 environmental awareness

Monitoring of River cleaning and

ambient air quality 03 04 rehabilitation