BAGUIO CITY — Environmental regulators have started an inventory of pine trees and lands in the summer capital, on the heels of a report that points to growing population as one of the main causes of its urban decay. The survey and mapping office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is collating data on the pine trees to determine their age as well as how these can regenerate without human intervention. Using satellite maps, Certeza consultants examined 19,016 structures in areas that were vulnerable to both rain and earthquake-induced landslides. The concept was developed shortly after Baguio was devastated by the 1990 Luzon earthquake. 1998 which exempts the provinces of Benguet and Cebu from the national forest code rule on 18-degree slopes, said Benjamin Ventura, who is overseeing the task set by Cimatu.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer February 22, 2019 21:45 UTC