Baguio mayor orders closure of Igorot Stone Kingdom

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong ordered the closure of the Igorot Stone Kingdom in due to permit and safety issues.

The 6,000-square meter manmade tourist attraction along Longlong  Road in Pinsao Proper was first opened to the public in 2021 but Magalong said it has been operating without a business permit.

Likewise, the stone structures inside the park were not covered by a building permit which puts its structural integrity in question.

“We have to be proactive. We can’t wait for something bad to happen before we act,” said Magalong.

According to the mayor, the park management had been previously notified of its permit violation. Instead of complying, they allegedly built more structures and continued to defy cease and desist orders from the city government.

This prompted the City Buildings and Architecture Office to file a criminal case for violation of the National Building Code on Monday, November 7, he added.

Magalong said the closure was part of their safety precautions as the tourist attraction may pose risk “due to lack of certificate ensuring the safety of the structures”.

An ongoing Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment of the Asian Development Bank and the Baguio City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office found the structure is in a “very high landslide exposure.”

Further, the mayor said the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has also declared the area as “prone to erosion.”—Sundy Locus/LDF, GMA News