LT addresses rampant illegal structures

March 24, 2019 Provincial

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet-This capital town has taken a bold step in curving illegal structures which have spread through the years. Municipal engineer Benedict Pineda admitted that their town known as the Salad Bowl, Strawberry Capital of the country and in recent years as Rose Capital, is saddled with structures allegedly constructed without the necessary building permits.
Pineda further confessed that the lack of personnel in his department made it difficult to conduct regular monitoring.
He explained that his personnel is not enough, considering the volume of infrastructure projects they implement and also the enforcement of the national building code.
The fast phase of development which led to congestion requires a stricter regulation, the official stressed. Meanwhile, Mayor Romeo K. Salda has recently designated Engineer Julius Mandac to act as the town’s building official, to address the situation.
Earlier, Municipal Councilor Nestor “Bobot” Fongwan, Jr. introduced an ordinance creating the office of building official which shall amend the staffing pattern of the office of the municipal engineer and providing funds for it.
Fongwan’s proposed ordinance in creating the office of the building official is “primarily for the enforcement of the provisions of the National Building Code.”
During the recent public hearing conducted by Councilor Fongwan, he underscored the “fast changing infrastructure landscape and its demands need proactive approach as these call for new processes and structures in the local government and new competencies and work ethics among the service providers.”
“There is a need to strengthen the local government’s building regulation and implementation as mandated under Presidential Decree (PD) 1096 or the National Building Code,” Fongwan said.
“The office of the municipal engineer favors the creation of the Office of the Building Official,” as stated in the proposed ordinance, which Pineda himself has personally endorsed during the public hearing.

Primo Agatep/ABN