INQUIRER Global Nation

RESIDENTS of barangay Maghaway, Talisay city who complained about the alleged harmful effects caused by three cell sites in their area were told to document their complaints and present them to the council for review.

Talisay City Councilor Alan Bucao said he made the suggestion to the residents even as he questioned their claims that they sustained ailments due to radiation emitted by the cell sites near their homes.

The cell sites of Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, and Sun Cellular are located within their area. Sun Cellular is constructing its site while the other two were built since 2003.

Last Tuesday, barangay Maghaway residents raised their case before the Talisay City council.

However, Bucao questioned the basis for their complaint which is a clipping from an unspecified health website.

“I asked (Talisay City Health Officer) Dr. (Lino) Avansado on the matter, and he told me it's not true,” Bucao said.

In an ABS-CBN TV report, DOH regional physicist Engr. Darren Casipong said cell sites only emit a type of non-ionizing radiation that can cause a thermal or heating effect which is not harmful.

Bucao also questioned the demand by the residents to revoke the land use variance of the Sun Cellular cell site, which is still under construction.

Bucao said he asked Dr. Avansado to visit the area with his staff and secure a medical survey of the residents in barangay Maghaway in order to verify their complaints. /Correspondent Justin Anjuli Vestil