Baguio City Shuts Down Igorot Stone Kingdom Over Alleged Violations

BAGUIO City Mayor Benjamin Magalong has ordered the closure of the new tourist attraction in the city, the Igorot Stone Kingdom, due to safety concerns and permit violations.

The City Permits and Licensing Office served the closure order on Tuesday.

The closure was implemented following the complaint filed by the City Buildings and Architecture Office against the theme park for alleged violation of the National Building Code.

Magalong said the theme park, which was opened in October 21 and located along Long-long Road, has been operating without a business permit. 

He also said the stone structures inside are not covered by a building permit, which puts the structural integrity of these constructions in question.

Magalong said the owner was earlier notified about the permit violations and was advised to comply with the requirements, but failed to do so.

The attraction lacks certificates that would ensure the safety of its structures, he said. 

 As a safety precaution, the city government decided to close the theme park.

“We have to be proactive. We can’t wait of something bad to happen before we act,” the Baguio mayor said

In response, Igorot Stone Kingdom owner Pio Velasco said he would abide by the closure order and that he is already in the process of securing permits.

“We have the intent to comply, yun nga lang it takes time,” Velasco said.

He also confirmed that the structure has not been certified yet by the City Engineer’s Office.

Despite this, he said their attraction is a “landslide protection structure.”

“Since we opened in May 2021, wala pa namang na-erode, wala pa namang gumuguho, dumaan ang earthquake walang na-damage or na-crack,” Velasco said.

He is hopeful that the facility’s closure would only be temporary and that it will be allowed to operate again once he has secured all the necessary permits.