OFFICIALS of La Union, particularly San Fernando City are seeking greater involvement in the management of the territory vacated by the former U.S. Wallace Air Base at Poro Point, La Union, now under the administration of the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA).

Gov. Joaquin Ortega and San Fernando City Mayor Maryjane Ortega lamented that not even one of them or their representative sits as member of the board of the BCDA even in ex-officio capacity to ensure that the plans of the latter conform to local laws.

The Ortegas told newsmen in Dagupan City that BCDA and its subsidiary company, the Poro Point Management Corporation, have been ignoring their invitations to coordinate with them, arguing that this is necessary as the two offices are operating within their territorial jurisdiction.

The former Wallace Air Base and the entire Poro Point is within the territorial jurisdiction of San Fernando City in the province of La Union.
They cited a case where the Department of Environment and Natural Resources was called because of the environmental lapses by the company that operates the San Fernando Port.

San Fernando City Mayor Maryjane Ortega told newsmen that as a result of this, Environmental Secretary Angelo Reyes issued a cease-and-desist order against the Poro Point Industrial Corporation even without giving the company a notice of violation after it was discovered that the company does not have any Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) at all.

The lady mayor said the DENR found out that the PPIC, with which the Poro Point Management Corporation signed a contract to operate the port, never applied for an ECC since 1999 during the administration of former President Joseph Estrada.

This was confirmed by Gov. Ortega who also told newsmen of his personal observation that boats docking at Poro Point are throwing their waste water down the San Fernando Bay, thereby polluting it.

“The attention of the DENR was called but lo and behold, it was found out that the company that is operating the port did not have an ECC — and they’ve been operating for years,” the governor said.

Prior to this, the mixed multi monitoring committee and tripartite monitoring committee reported to the city government about the different environmental lapses of PPIC which prompted the latter to ask help from the DENR.

Mayor Ortega admitted that the local government concurred in the past to the operation of the Poro Point Management Corporation and BCDA even if the governor or any member of the local government unit does not sit as member of the board of the same.

After the company’s environmental lapses and the subsequent troubles happening at the port in which the local government was asked to help maintain peace and order, the Ortegas are now however seeking bigger involvement of the local government in the BCDA.