Parallel ordinance to nat'l bldg code pushed

City Councilor Augustus "Jun" Pe Jr. is pushing for the passage of a proposed parallel ordinance of Presidential Decree 1096, otherwise known as the Revised National Building Code, mandating the annual inspection of buildings and structures.

Under the proposed measure, the city engineer, acting as the local building official, shall be primarily responsible for the enforcement of the provisions of PD 1096 as well as of the implementing rules and regulations issued and shall be the one to take charge of issuing building permits.

In line with the performance of his duties, the same proposed measure grants him the authority to enter any building or its premises at all reasonable times to inspect and determine whether it has complied with the requirements set forth in the building code, and the terms and conditions provided for in the building permits that shall have been issued.

If the building official would find any building work in contrary to the provisions stipulated in this code, he may order the work to be stopped and the prescribe the terms and/or conditions when the work will be allowed to resume in the same manner that he can order the discontinuance of the occupancy or use of any building or structure or portion thereof.

In addition, the same proposed measure also provides that no person, firm or corporation, including any agency or instrumentality of the government shall erect, construct, alter, repair, move, convert or demolish any building or structure or cause the same to be done without first obtaining a building permit from the building official assigned in the place where the subject building is located or the building work is to be done.

Application of building permit with the office of the building official shall be done in writing and should provide the following information: a description of the work to be covered by the permit applied for; description and ownership of the lot on which the proposed work is to be done as evidenced by the transfer certificate of title and/or copy of the contract of lease over the lot if applicant is not the registered owner; the use or occupancy for which the proposed work is intended; and estimated cost of the proposed work.

It is also required that at least five sets of corresponding plans and specifications shall be submitted together with such application.

And in processing an application for a building permit, the building official will check if the applicant satisfies and conforms with approved standard requirements on zonings and land use, lines and grades, structural design, sanitary and sewerage, environmental health, and electrical in pursuant to the provisions of the building code.

Further, the building official may issue a permit for the construction of only a part or portion of a building or structure whenever the plans and specifications submitted together with the application do not cover the entire building or structure.

Should this proposed measure be enacted into law, any person who shall violate any of its provisions shall upon conviction in court be punished by a fine ranging from P1,000 to P3,000 or suffer imprisonment from one to six months, or both at the discretion of the court.

The proposed measure was presented to the city council during its regular session last week and the same was referred to the committee on laws for study and review. - Cristina C. Birondo