Alarm Raised Over Illegal Structures In Tabuk City

October 25, 2020 JUST IN

BAGUIO CITY (October 25, 2020) – Alarm was raised by the Tabuk City government over the noticeable proliferation of illegal structures in roads-right-of-way especially along major roads in the city.
City Mayor Darwin Estrañero in calling out the City Building and Architecture Office (CBAO) to ramp up its monitoring of constructions, urged employees and barangay officials to be proactive in reporting constructions without building permits.
“Idi pinagliklikos tayo dituy Tabuk, adu ti nakitkita tayo nga tumaktakder manen nga [illegal structures],” he said.
“Aglikos kayo man especially along our main thoroughfares like the national roads. [These being national roads] doesn’t mean nga awan ti biyang tayo. We still have the territorial jurisdiction over these roads,” the mayor said.
Mayor Estrañero recalled the difficulties in implementing President Rodrigo Duterte’s order last year to clear all roads of illegal structures and said the strict monitoring of constructions now is key to avoid running into the same problems in the future.
“I-report tayo dagituy [illegal structures] kadagiyay ahensya, to CBAO, to the [Department of Public Works and Highways, and even to the provincial government tapnu haan manen nga umadu dagituy illegal structures,” he said.
According to the Tabuk City buildings office, eleven constructions were issued notices of violation during the second week of October alone. These were mostly houses that are being constructed within the road-right-of-way.
From January to September 2020, the CBAO has issued 160 building permits resulting to Php 978,610 in fees collected, 226 electrical permits yielding Php 70,446 in fees collected, 58 certificates of occupancy resulting to Php 161,550 in fees collected, and 160 architectural and sanitary permits.
The office has also issued in the same period 143 notices of illegal construction.
Artemio A. Dumlao