4 city offices vacate 5-decade old building

CEBU, Philippines - Four offices occupying the Gotiaoco building across the Cebu City Hall have started evacuating the building yesterday after receiving verbal orders from Mayor Michael Rama last Thursday.

In Lapu-Lapu, the City Engineering Office yesterday released its inspection report showing that all public elementary and high school buildings and public-owned buildings remain in good condition even after the earthquake last Monday.

Cebu City Hall’s Office of the Building Official (OBO) earlier recommended the Gotiaoco building to be immediately evacuated because the recent earthquake has made it more hazardous.

The Gotiaoco building has been in existence for over five decades already. OBO declared it vulnerable to collapse due to old age.

Building official Josefa Ylanan earlier said that OBO did not recommend the building for occupation in the first place. “We cannot gamble anymore,” Ylanan said.

After the 6.9 quake that rocked Cebu last Monday, a portion of the wall facing the stairs of the Gotiaoco have collapsed which alarmed Market Administrator Racquel Arce.

Arce said they want to avoid accidents so they might as well vacate the area.

She said there is enough space at the second floor of the Taboan Public Market to accommodate them. She already requested P160,000 to cover the cost of the renovation where they will need to build partitions and other necessary structures. The renovation will be undertaken by the building and maintenance section.

The other offices occupying the Gotiaoco building that will also have to transfer are the GASA office (Garbo Asenso Sumbanan Alyansa), Burial Assistance Program and TCUP (Tanod, Chapel, Unified Security Group, Parish Security Group).

Arce said that the Market Operations Division, GASA and TCUP will be transferring to Taboan. The burial assistance program office will transfer to the second floor of the legislative building that will be vacated by the City Hospitalization Assistance and Medical Program. CHAMP will be transferring to the Cebu City Medical Center to be more accessible to patients.

In Lapu-Lapu, Acting City Engineer Allan Pedrigal said no serious damage were seen in the public elementary and high school buildings, only hairline cracks that will not affect the structures.

Pedrigal said their office issued a certification to public elementary and high school buildings in barangay Maribago. They will do the same for public elementary and high school buildings in Barangay Pajo, Pajac and Looc.

An ocular inspection of City Hall building and the Hoopsdome showed the two are safe, as well as the public market.

Pedrigal asked business establishments to hire private engineers to inspect their buildings. –/JPM (FREEMAN)