City mayor orders buildings with no parking areas closed

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – Commercial buildings defying the parking requirement face closure, Mayor Mauricio Domogan said here Monday.

The mayor directed the city buildings and architecture office (CBAO) to fast-track and complete the inventory of establishments within a month and identify those that failed to comply for purposes of issuing orders for the cancellation of their building and occupancy permits and closing down the establishments.

“These businessmen have been given due process as we have met with them and given them enough time to comply.  They will have no reason to question our order,” the mayor said.

Owners of the business establishments within the central business district earlier committed to comply with the city’s requirement to provide ample parking spaces.

They were earlier found to have violated their building permit by converting the space allotted for parking space into other uses.

Assistant CBAO Johnny Degay then said that in the course of their inspections of the edifices, it was discovered that many establishments with approved parking spaces in their building permits have altered the plans and instead rented out the spaces intended for parking.

The mayor said this constitutes violation of Presidential Decree 96 or the National Building Code and city ordinances and as such the city can revoke the building and occupancy permits and close the establishments. 

The mayor however gave them a grace period of until last February  to rectify their violations either by restoring their parking areas or by designating a parking area outside their buildings but within the property’s 200-meter radius.

The mayor also directed the CBAO to continue their inspections to also include other buildings within the CBD.