Congressman Mark Go,

I may not be born and raised in the city of Baguio but while staying here for
almost 6 years now, from the time that I took up my undergraduate studies up to
now as I pursue my law degree, the city has become part of my whole being and it
Baguio City, approximately 250 kilometers north of Manila, is situated in the
Province of Benguet. The area of the city is 57.5 square kilometers enclosed in
perimeter of 30.6 kilometers. The developed portion of the city corresponds to a
plateau that rises to an elevation of 1,400 meters. Most of it lies in the northern
half of the city.

There are two great valleys found in the south and the north of the city. The more
famous Guisad-Lucban Valley has an elevation that ranges from 1,300 to 1,400
meters and is centrally located towards the north. The southern valley is composed
of long and narrow vales surround by low hills transected by a network of hills.
Some of the more important valleys are Camp 7, Loakan, Bakakeng and Crystal
Cave. These valleys are arable and rich in alluvial deposits.1

1
Department of Interior and Local Government
 Land is a finite resource but population continues to grow year after year,
requiring more land for residential and commercial purposes, however, we cannot
set aside the fact that these would be tantamount to the urbanization of agricultural
lands or areas in food production and forests in timber production and watershed
protection. These, therefore, necessitates the allocation of land judiciously and
discriminately.

Land Use Planning is the systematic approach or process for identifying,

classifying and locating urban land, which is achieved by analyzing the socio-
economic needs of the population in consideration of the physical and natural
attributes of a city or municipality. It refers to the rational and judicious approach
of allocating available land resources to different land using activities, ( e.g.
agricultural, residential, industrial) and for different functions consistent with the
overall development vision or goal of a particular locality. It entails the detailed
process of determining the location and area of land required for the
implementation of social and economic development, policies, plans, programs and
projects. It is based on consideration of physical planning standards, development
vision, goals and objective, analysis of actual and potential physical conditions of
land and development constraints and opportunities.

The technical aspect involves determining what activities (agricultural,

construction) a given piece of land can support without causing damages to the
land itself in order it can be used across many generations without jeopardizing.

On the other hand, the political aspect is concerned with the commitment of
decision makers and politicians to ensure that there is strict compliance with the
plan and its implementation tools.