Demolition set for 34 buildings along Naguillan, Marcos roads

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – Ten more structures along Naguilian Road and 24 constructions including one big establishment along Marcos Highway will be torn down in the continuing road clearing operations by the city government and the Dept. of Public Works and Highways Baguio City District Engineering Office (DPWH-BCDEO).

Asst. City Engr. Constancio Imson of the City Engineering Office, in his report to Mayor Benjamin Magalong, said the next demolition operation along Naguilian Road will be on March 12-13 while that of Marcos Highway will be on March 25-26.

City Administrator Bonifacio Dela Peña said Fernando Tiong, owner of TG Home Builders, a large business edifice along Marcos Highway, submitted to the city and to DPWH-BCDEO District Engr. Rene Zarate a demolition plan for his building, a huge chunk of which will be affected by the road clearing.

He said Tiong offered to undertake the removal of one column line of the edifice on his own to ensure that the remaining structure will remain sound.

Tiong earlier questioned the operations before the court and was one of the 122 occupants in Marcos Highway whose demolition schedules were delayed after either submitting lot documents or seeking relief from the judiciary.

                The mayor said the demolition of Tiong’s building will serve as a test case for other structures of similar circumstance and will also prove that the drive spares no one.

The highway clearing which started in Sept. last year targeted 287 structures in Marcos Highway and 330 in Naguilian which encroached into the highways' road rights-of-way in compliance with the President's anti-road obstruction order.

Next in line will be Kennon Road with an approximate number of 95 structures and Loakan Road with 110 constructions within the declared 150-meter buffer zone of the airport.

The demolition operations are jointly being undertaken by the DPWH-BCDEO, the City Engineering Office under engineer Edgar Victorio Olpindo and the City Buildings and Architecture Office under officer in charge architect Johnny Degay.