‘Green tax’ pushed to fund environmental protection

Five committees of the City Council are set to craft an ordinance imposing environmental protection fees which will be utilized for the conservation, protection and regeneration of the environment and natural resources. This, after City Councilor Ian Mark Nacaya, in his special report last Monday, said there is a need for the city to look into the protection of the city’s watershed and ecological resources.

It is because of our unprotected watershed

areas that caused damage to lives and properties especially during tropical storm Sendong in 2011 and typhoon Vinta in 2017.

“Mount Kalatungan, which is the mother watershed of Northern Mindanao needs to be protected because if we don’t, we will still be the ones who will suffer,” he said.

Nacaya said the environmental protection fees can be used to sustain or protect the environment, and have it preserved for the future generations. The proposed law imposes environmental protection fees particularly to commercial and industrial establishments, rice and sugar producers, and residential water users.

By collecting the fee, the city creates and Environmental Protection Fund and will be used for the rehabilitation of Cagayan de Oro River Watershed and Mount Kanla-on Natural Park within the geographical boundary of the city.

The collections will also be used to purchase the necessary equipment, livelihood programs that will aid in the conservation, as well as for the administrative and logistical costs of the city’s Watershed Management Council and the Technical Working Group.

The committees on planning and development, finance, budget and appropriations, trade and commerce, subdivision and landed estate, and the committee on environment were tasked to study the proposed legislation.