Demolition of illegal structures on Baguio roads sidewalks set

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – The city government will go all out in pursuing the clearing and expansion of the three main highways leading to the city in collaboration with the Dept. of Public Works and Highways.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong during the Management Committee (Mancom) meeting Sept. 10 directed that eviction procedures be simultaneously implemented on all structures that encroached upon road rights-of-way (RROWs) of Marcos Highway, Naguilian Highway and Kennon Road.

“We should do it simultaneously to speed up our action instead of waiting for the process to be completed in one highway before moving on to the next because that will drag the process on,” the mayor said.

He said he has given the same order to Asst. City Engineer Constancio Imson Jr. whom he had tasked as the “champion” for road clearing projects in support of City Engr. Edgar Victorio Olpindo. 

The mayor also suggested that the city’s process in clearing roads be aligned with that of the DPWH to ensure the observance of ample due process.

City Building Official Engr. Nazita Banez said the city’s procedure allows only one notice for structures illegally built on RROWs while the DPWH issues three.

The DPWH process is being applied on the 273 structures subject of eviction procedure along Marcos Highway which the mayor said needs to be prioritized in view of the impending closure of Kennon Road as confirmed by City Administrator Bonifacio Dela Pena.

Dela Pena said the decision to close Kennon Road was reached during the recent meeting of the technical working group studying the state and rehabilitation needs of the scenic highway where members decided to go for a three-year closure to motorists except for residents en route to total rehabilitation doing away with the band-aid solution that had cost P500 million a year.  

Banez said that of the 273 structures illegally built on the RROW of Marcos Highway, only 16 had so far been issued demolition orders while 40 more are up for signing.

She said the clearing and expansion project of the highway is about to start to initially cover the stretch from the Sta. Catalina church down to Justice Village. 

The project intends to expand the road carriage of the highway by six meters plus an additional 1.5 meters for sidewalks on each side to be measured from the edge of the road, according to Dela Pena who confirmed the information from District Engr. Rene Zarate of the Baguio City District Engineering Office. 

Olpindo informed that if the provisions of Section 112 of Commonwealth Act 141 or the Public Land Act as amended by Presidential Decree No. 635 are to be followed, properties titled before 1975 need not be removed while those titled after 1975 can be subjected to expropriation.

On structures encroaching upon city roads, Olpindo said that owners of the makeshift structures issued notices have started to voluntarily dismantle their structures while semi-permanent ones will be given ample time.

The city government and the DPWH are also collaborating to complete  sidewalk reclamation and rehabilitation.

Magalong said between the city and the DPWH, a funding of over P100 million can be secured to fully implement the project designed to reclaim and improve existing sidewalks and construct new ones in strategic areas around the city.

City Engr. Edgar Victorio Olpindo said the city has a P20 million fund allocation for the project for 2020 while the rest will come from the regional and city district offices of the department.

City Administrator Bonifacio Dela Pena said the city and the DPWH have also been collaborating on the design of the sidewalks with the use of Tactile tiles and ramps to aid persons with disabilities.

Olpindo earlier said several sidewalk repair and recovery projects have been implemented starting January the use of this year’s budget.

He said they prioritized the project which will cover more than 100 kilometers of sidewalks scheduled for implementation this year and the next especially along school zones to provide schoolchildren and pedestrians safe and convenient access and mobility along walkways and roads.

The program has three prongs: sidewalk repair for existing walkways that are dilapidated; sidewalk recovery for those that are within the road right-of-ways but are encroached upon; and sidewalk construction for areas that have no existing footways.

In some areas, the office undertook partial recovery by designating a walkway with paint and symbols that signify that that strip is off limits to vehicles.

Olpindo said these partially recovered sidewalks will later be improved either by elevating it or partitioning it through bollards.