City stops illegal project, as it sets demolition of illegal structures along two coastal barangays

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Building Officials (OBO) will issue today a cease and desist order to the management of a building on Escario Street corner Gorordo Avenue whose  sidewalk expansion already encroaches on the road.

In a related development, several illegal structures along the coastal areas in Barangays  Duljo-Fatima and Mambaling will be demolished on August 6, when a special coastal clean-up will be conducted in the place.

City Engineer Kenneth Carmelita Enriquez sent a team of inspectors from the Office of the Building Officials after Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella instructed them to look into the report that part of Escario Street is used by a private project.

Considering that Escario Street is a national road, Labella also asked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to be involved in the investigation on why the contractor of the project used about one meter of the road.

The three-storey concrete building used to be leased by the Social Security System (SSS) and currently used as a medical establishment without proper parking area.

Enriquez told The Freeman that the inspectors told her that they will be issuing a notice for illegal construction today.

“Pwede nato na ipa-restore nila. Nahibulong lang g’yud ko nganong gibuhat na nila,” the city engineer said.

DPWH district engineer Nicomedes Leonor also promised to look into the case, but The Freeman was not able to contact him yesterday afternoon.

About 10 laborers are doing the project for three to four nights now, and they usually start work at 8 o’clock in the evening. They covered the place to conceal the new curve and gutter, which is more than one meter from the original curve and gutter.

OBO inspectors said the place is exactly one kilometer from the Provincial Capitol building because the kilometer post No. 1 can still be seen at the original curve and gutter is situated.

The building’s administrators reportedly just want to expand the curve and gutter so that the expanded area can be used as the building’s parking area for their vehicles.

The city has an ordinance that requires parking area, and for buildings constructed beyond 1992 to have parking spaces parallel to the building.

Meanwhile, several illegallyconstructed structures along the coastal areas in Barangays  Duljo-Fatima and Mambaling are scheduled to be demolished by the Cebu City Hall personnel on August 6, when a special coastal clean-up will be conducted in the place.

Some members of the newly created Reduction of Danger Zones in Rivers (ReDZ-R) headed by former Councilor Jose Daluz III who is now working with the City Legal Office inspected the place yesterday.

They want to come up with ways to beautify the coastal areas.

Daluz, accompanied by Councilor Dave Tumulak and Raquel Arce of the Prevention Restoration Order and Beautification Enhancement (PROBE), found  that there were several illegal structures built beyond the government-constructed seawall.

Arce observed that the structures were built for drying fish products while the others serve as warehouse for the dried fish. “Ato lang sila nga hangyoon nga sila na la’y moboluntaryo sa pagguba,” said Arce.

The group also observed that most of the persons living in the coastal areas of the two barangays just threw their garbage in the sea, making the water unsanitary.

Aside from the garbage, the team also discovered that their toilets do not have septic tanks.

“Diretso ra g’yud nga gihulog sa dagat ang hugaw,” Arce said.

They plan to provide temporary toilets in the area. — (FREEMAN)