Baguio issues amnesty for illegal electric, water lines

By JhoArranz

BAGUIO CITY -- Amnesty for illegal electric and water connections is on here, even as constituents urged the city government to do this more often as this is only done once every three years.

A significant number of structures in the city have no tax declaration or title, thus constituents are encountering problems in complying with the requirements of availing amnesty.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan said the city has an ordinance to follow and abide with.

“I have no authority to issue permit because it will be a violation of the ordinance,” he said.

The mayor said based on Ordinance No. 15, applications for amnesty shall be filed with the City Building and Architecture Office (CBAO) in case of electric connections and with the Baguio Water District (BWD) for water connections for evaluation and those qualified will be subsequently required to pay the necessary regulatory fees.

Applicants are required to present their tax declarations, if not, he or she must secure a waiver or authority from the registered lot owner, certificate of non-delinquency of tax and barangay certification attesting that the applicant is a resident of the place, that the lot or structure is not in a right-of-way, that the lot or structure is not located in waterways and BWD water facilities or pipelines, that the lot or structure is not under high tension wires and that the lot or structure is not the subject to demolition or had been previously demolished.

On the other hand, indigent applicants certified by their respective punong barangays and the city social welfare and development office will be entitled to a 50 percent discount on the professional fees and labor cost being charged by the Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers of the Philippines member and practitioners but the same does not apply to the fees being charged by the CBAO pursuant to existing laws, rules and regulations.

        In lieu of the certificate of final electrical inspection being used to those with occupancy and building permits, the ordinance provided that a certificate of electrical inspection will be issued by the CBAO.

The amnesty shall apply only to structures built on or before the effectivity of the ordinance based on CBAO inventory and barangay certification issued for such purpose.

Also, the ordinance specified that the amnesty for electric and water connections shall not apply to structures built in forest reservations, watersheds, other properties identified as government or military reservations and those who squatted within titled private properties.

Domogan said electricity and water is a basic necessity of every individual.  

However, the resolution on the processing of awards of land titles and/or declaration is still vague.

The amnesty of electric and water connections in the city will apply only for four months which has already started last May 10.