Building height  limit mulled

CEBU, Philippines — City Planning and Development Officer Michael Joseph "Yumi" is contemplating imposing a height limit and floor area ratios for buildings to address "urban heat island effect" in Cebu, which is a highly-urbanized city.

The phenomenon is defined as a situation wherein cities or urban centers experience higher air temperatures compared to the rural areas.

This occurs when cities replace natural land cover with dense concentrations of pavement, buildings, and other surfaces that absorb and retain heat.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said this effect increases air pollution levels, heat-related illness and mortality, and energy costs for air-conditioning systems.

“Kana gung tag-as gung building unya way ventilation, muinit.... Ma-feel gud nimo ngadtos bukid, mura'g two degrees cooler nganhi sa urban areas. So, daghan mang buildings sementado tanan, so ato nang pahungawon,” Espina said via the City's Public Information Office.

“So kung masawo na, i-arrange nas building, musawo ang windflow...bugnaw atong urban center..Mao nay atong gi-study-han ron,” he added.

This, however, depends on the City's zoning ordinance, which Espina said they are forwarding in Manila for approval by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development.

Once approved, the City Planning and Development Office would then look into imposing a building height limit and floor area ratios of properties in places within the city.

“Kay karon gud sige lang ta'g approve og mga (bag-ong) building.  Wala tay controls and regulations (on airflow), so kuyaw kaayo sa ngadto-ngadto. Mao man nay nahitabo sa Manila,” Espina said.

Other US EPA suggestions on how to reduce "urban heat island effect" include green infrastructure improvements, planting of trees and other vegetation, and building green roofs.

Meanwhile, Espina said he has recommended a reorganization of CPDO by adding two divisions--the planning and designs division and the project monitoring division. The said divisions would be staffed by six job order employees who are architects and engineers.

“Planning and design, mao ning mga architects. Nya project monitoring…, (kay) kaning monitoring sa atong projects wa gyud.... Project monitoring, technical na, dili na pwedeg bisan kinsa lang imong i-add, kinahanglan na'g costing and computations, kung sakto ba na," he said.

He said the move is also part of Mayor Michael Rama's "rightsizing" directive for City Hall.

“Dili lang pataka ta'g kuha'g mga empleyado ba nga walay capability…In the first place, we are using people’s money…Ato gyud nang gamiton og sakto ang kwarta sa publiko,” Espina said. (CEBU NEWS)