To deter squatting and the establishment of illegal structures within what remains of the forest reservations, the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) continues strict monitoring in the Busol and Buyog watersheds.
In a Facebook post by Baguio City Public Information Office (PIO) on May 15, the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO), City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO), City Engineering Office (CEO) and BCPO discovered 26 illegal constructions in the Busol, Buyog and Camp 8 watersheds. These structures will be endorsed for demolition according to CBAO.
Following the demolition of two residential constructions found in the Busol watershed on Feb. 27 and March 1, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong issued an executive order to the BCPO to conduct 24-hour patrols over the two watersheds, which are the city's few remaining sources of potable water.
“Any new structure being built, especially in protected areas should be immediately demolished,” Magalong said after noting a decrease from 19 hectares to only seven hectares in the Buyog watershed forested area.
Meanwhile, BCPO Director PCOL Francisco Bulwayan Jr. said in a Baguio Midland Courier article that he accepts the order. He said the monitoring of forest reservations and watersheds are now part of the regular patrol activities of the police stations, adding that it is in accordance with the “makakalikasan” core value of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Magalong held a series of talks with the watershed occupants in 2019, notifying them of the city's removal of unlawful constructions even before the COVID-19 outbreak.
“We need to finally put an end to this decades long problem, we shall continue to take action and remove illegal settlers within our watersheds for the benefit of the people,” the mayor said.
In 2021, the city government and residents of the four barangays straddling the watersheds both agreed to refrain from any construction within the area. Recent inspections, however, found violations of the agreement as new structures were built within the reservations.
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