‘Cell site towers not harmful to Apas folk’
THE Cebu City Council cited the need for health authorities to dispel public belief that radio frequency waves from cell site towers cause cancer.
In yesterday’s session, the council raised the complaint of residents of sitio Calvary Hills in barangay Apas who live near cell site towers to representatives from telecommunications companies.
“There have already been on site surveys, inspections and the results proved that cell sites are not harmful. But we agree that there is really a need to educate the residents on this,” Globe Telecommunications legal counsel Ma. Leonore Dela Serna-Teves said.
Teves said the Department of Health (DOH) is more qualified to answer the health concerns of the residents.
In a public hearing at the City Hall last June, Dr. Agnet Peralta of the DOH said radio frequency waves received and transmitted by cell site towers don’t cause cancer.
She explained that “the radiation coming from cell sites are classified as non-ionizing radiation and doesn’t cause cancer.”
But Councilor Nestor Archival Sr. said several residents still visit his office and complain on the issue.
He then requested Globe to secure the minutes of the meeting of an earlier public hearing in 2000 wherein Teves said the residents didn’t complain on the plan before they actually built the cell site towers.
Archival also requested Globe to coordinate with the committee on health, headed by Councilor Lea Japson, in explaining their side to the residents.
Joel Reston of the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) said telcos need to secure a special use permit before building the cell site towers.
Part of the requirements before the city government approves the permit for the cell site towers is a barangay clearance and a public hearing among affected residents.
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