111 illegal structures found in Baguio forests, military reservations, creeks, lots

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY -- The city’s anti-squatting campaign found a total of 111 illegal structures located in safeguarded, titled and untitled lots, road right-of-ways, creek easement and forest and military reservations last June.
    Engineer Donald Gas-ib, head of the City Buildings and Architectures Office (CBAO) Investigation and Demolition Division, said there were 63 constructions situated on title and 30 others on unregistered lots.  Eight were found encroaching in road right-of-ways, five on creek easement, two on forest reservation and three on military reservation.
    City Building official architect Johnny Degay said the illegal constructions were reported by private individuals, barangay officials who were tasked to report structures that have no building permit and by the different agencies under the Baguio Anti-Squatting and Illegal Structures (BASIS) team that continue to patrol and monitor the safeguarded lots and the barangays.
    In April, a total of 223 constructions in titled and untitled lots and road right-of-ways were halted for permit violations while 26 new illegal constructions in three watersheds were endorsed for demolition.
    Last May, a total of 102 more ongoing illegal structures were reported, 40 of which were on titled lots, 41 on unregistered lots, nine on RROWs, eight were on lots covered by Certificate of Ancestral Land Titles (CALT) and four within watersheds.