Hollywood-like sign on Taal Volcano needs OK from environment board

The plan to build a towering “Batangas" sign similar to the one in Hollywood on Taal Volcano Island is not yet final and still needs approval from an environmental board, a provincial environment and natural resources officer said Thursday. Laudemir Salac, area superintendent of the Taal Volcano Protected Landscape, said that local environment officials still need to assess if the proposal to build the sign will have effects on the area’s flora and fauna. “This plan is still on the drawing board. Wala pang formal proposal. It has to be approved by the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB)," he said in a phone interview. Taal Volcano is part of a protected area covered by Republic Act 7586 (National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992), which lists “mutilating, defacing or destroying objects of natural beauty" as one of its prohibited acts. The Batangas provincial council approved earlier this month a resolution to build the 14-meter high landmark on Taal Volcano Island. The proposal drew the ire of Filipinos online and sparked a wave of digitally manipulated photos poking fun at the apparent absurdity of the proposed signage. Salac added that the PAMB also needs to coordinate with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) to determine the risks of building signage near the volcano. “Kung sa permanent danger zone ito itayo, hindi puwede gumamit ng concrete or steel. Dapat temporary materials lang, tulad siguro ng kahoy," he said. He likewise said that the PAMB will also assess the environmental impact of the local government’s proposal to build floating restaurants and fish pens near the Taal Lake. — LBG/HS, GMA News