P10-M collapsible parking facility pushed in Baguio

By Jordan G. Habbiling

 

BAGUIO CITY -- The City Council is reviewing a proposal to allocate P10 million for construction of a collapsible parking facility to address the city's growing parking problem.

As traffic congestion and inadequate parking spaces continue to strain the city’s infrastructure, the proposed multi-level structure is expected to provide much-needed relief for residents and tourists and offer an innovative solution to maximize limited space near the central business district (CBD).

Introduced by Councilors Fred Bagbagen, Jose Molintas, and Peter Fianza, the proposal aims to address the city’s growing parking problem through the construction of a collapsible parking structure.

This innovative design envisions a multi-level facility that optimizes the use of limited space by utilizing vertical parking.

The collapsible feature of the structure ensures that it can be compact and efficient to provide flexibility in terms of space usage and future expansions.

By making use of vertical space, this design seeks to mitigate the scarcity of land in the city, making it a forward-thinking solution to urban space constraints.

A collapsible parking facility would also be built to withstand various environmental conditions to ensure it is safe and durable, taking into account the following factors in mind: aesthetic appeal, safety and security, traffic flow, handicap accessibility, carbon monoxide management, and accommodation of different types of vehicles.

The facility should be conveniently located near the CBD with design that would ensure the facility serves its purpose without overwhelming limited space of the area.

This would involve collaboration between the city’s urban planners and architects and experts from both the private sector and academic institutions to ensure the design is both functional and sustainable.

A thorough planning process will be undertaken including evaluation of possible sites for the facility.

The proposed budget in the amount of P10 million will be charged against available funds of the city government to cover the costs of construction of the collapsible parking facility.

The proposal has been approved on first reading by the Baguio City Council and referred to its committee on appropriations and finance-Cluster A for review.

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Ilocos 4P housing starts with 10 condo buildings

By Gabriel L. Cardinoza

ASINGAN, Pangasinan -- The first housing project in Region 1 (Ilocos Region) under the national government's Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4P) program was launched here on Dec. 15, in the farming village of Carosucan Norte.
    "This project consists of 10 four-story condominium buildings," said Sherwin Patanao, 4P regional focal person of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DSHUD), shortly after the groundbreaking ceremony here.
    "We are no longer developing horizontal housing projects because our agricultural areas are becoming smaller and smaller," Patanao added.
    The project will be built starting next year inside a 2.14-hectare area located about 1.5 kilometers from the Villasis-Asingan Road.
    Each condominium building will have 24 units in each floor, or a total of 96 units for every building. Each unit will have an area of 27 square meters.
    "So, there will be a total of 960 units. And this is just the first phase of the project," said Patanao.
DHSUD Undersecretary Emmanuel Pineda said that the housing project will have a swimming pool, playground, a clubhouse and parking areas for cars and motorcycles.
    "We wanted it to be breathable and livable, so instead of the 30 percent minimum open space, we made it 40 percent for the quality of life of the occupants," Pineda said.
    He said the housing project is open to all Filipinos, adding that it will be affordable for everybody, especially the informal sectors.
    He also said a condominium unit is payable in 30 years, at P2,600 per month amortization in the first year and P3,600 per month in the following years.
    Mayor Carlos Lopez Jr. expressed his gratitude to DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar for approving the project.
    He also thanked Dept. of Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella 3rd for helping in the reclassification of the project site, which the town purchased many years back.
    Lopez said that the town has more than 3,000 backlogs in housing and some 1,000 families live under a bridge or within the irrigation line.
    Pangasinan 6th District Rep. Marlyn Primicias Agabas said that this was "so blessed."
    She said last Dec. 14, she and Lopez led the groundbreaking ceremony for a Regional Trial Court station for this town and neighboring San Manuel.
    She also said that a "super health center" will be built soon near the housing project after she requested it from the Dept. of Health.
    In addition, Agabas said, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority has allotted an initial P10 million for the construction of a new building.
    "It is our vision that this place will become a beautiful community. By 2025, after the first two buildings will rise, we should also start planning to build daycare centers for our children," Agabas said.
    "What we are doing now is history. In the future, they might have their own school," she added.
    Patanao said that the project will be completed in five years, with two buildings built every year.
    He said that for this project, they were just waiting for the beneficiary selection before its construction starts.
    Lopez said they have already approved 300 applicants, consisting of overseas Filipino workers, tricycle drivers, teachers and government employees.
 
 

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DPWH completes infra projects in La Union

By Hilda Austria

MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – Residents of San Juan town in La Union are now benefiting from the completion of a P48.9-million flood mitigation project and a farm-to-market road since the third quarter of this year.
    In an interview on Tuesday, Dept. of Public Works and Highways Ilocos public information officer Esperanza Tinaza said construction of the 192-linear-meter concrete dike along the riverbanks of Barangay Sta. Rosa in San Juan town started last Feb. 14 and was completed last Aug. 30.
    "The project aims to mitigate floods caused by the rise of the Baroro River during intense rainfall. Additionally, the dike will protect the land from erosion caused by the river, ultimately enhancing the safety of the residents situated along the riverbanks," she said.
    Meanwhile, the DPWH has completed the concreting of a 483-meter farm-to-market road connecting Barangay Pao Sur to Barangay Pao Norte in San Fernando City, La Union.
    "It aims to provide better access for farmers to reach local, regional, and national markets. With improved road connectivity, farmers will have increased opportunities to sell their products, leading to better economic prospects for the agricultural community," she said.

    Construction started last April 18 and was completed last July 25.
    Both projects were funded under the General Appropriations Act of 2023. -- PNA
 
 
 

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Mayor pushes probe on DPWH infra project

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY -- Mayor Benjamin Magalong requested the city council to conduct an inquiry into an ongoing multi-million project near the Lion's Head along Kennon Road which he said was implemented without any consultation with the city government, affected barangay and other stakeholders.
    "I am urgently asking the city council to immediately conduct a hearing on this project for us to be enlightened on the safety status of the construction.  We also want to be apprised on the details of the project as to who are responsible, what was the intent and why was there no consultation with the local government or with the stakeholders before the implementation," the mayor said.
    "Please treat this request with urgency considering that this involves public safety.  It is concerning that they have shifted from merely installing rock netting to building shotcrete. It is about time that we ask as we were never informed or consulted about this project being built on a public lot within our jurisdiction,” he added.
    City Administrator Bonifacio Dela Pena said the city government wants to get assurance that the project underwent the required quality tests of materials including backfill to ensure the safety of the constructions.
    “If they can show test results that will prove that the project has no safety issues and the city has nothing to worry about, then that will be a relief,” he said.
    He suggested that the city council invite not only the Dept. of Public Works and Highways, and the contractor but also experts from the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines Inc. (ASEP), Mines and GeoSciences Bureau of the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources.
    In June this year, the city council approved resolution 354-2023 requesting the Baguio City District Engineering Office, DPWH Cordillera, MGB-CAR, Environmental Management Bureau and the City Engineering Office to conduct a joint inspection on the project entitled “Rehabilitation/Reconstruction of National Roads with Slips, Slope Collapse and Landslide-Primary Roads-Kennon Road” to submit their findings including the design and all necessary data to the city council for information and appropriate legislative action.
    The action stemmed from the concerns raised on the “alleged unstable ground and slope protection included in the project being implemented by the DPWH-CAR near the Lion’s Head” and the investigation report of the City Engineering Office also conducted in June after receiving a call from a concerned citizen regarding the project.
    In July, the city council passed Resolution No. 446-2023 requesting the PICE and the ASEP to evaluate the structural integrity of the ongoing parking facility project and Resolution No. 445-2023 asking the Commission on Audit CAR to conduct a technical inspection/evaluation on the said project worth P118 million.
    City Council Asst. Secretary Dan Ricky Ong informed the mayor that no feedback had so far been received on said approved resolutions.
    “The more reason for us to conduct that inquiry now so that we will not be kept in the dark on its goings on especially since it is a big project implemented without consultation with the local government, the barangay or the DENR and because again, it concerns public safety,” the mayor reiterated.
 

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Mayor warns contractors on project sites’ safety

By Jessa Mardy Samidan

BAGUIO CITY -- Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong warnED contractors of government or private projects in the city to ensure public safety and cleanliness in their project sites.
    Several random inspections by no less than the mayor led to the discovery of unsightly, untidy workplace and alleged substandard projects. 
    “Unclean and disorderly project sites is a serious safety issue,” the mayor said.
    He added that safety concerns of both workers and the public should always be in mind among contractors and project implementers.
    Despite constant reminders to contractors to keep their worksites clean and orderly, the city government continues to receive complaints from the public due to inconveniences caused by disorganized and unclean project sites. 
    The mayor has already directed the City Building and Architecture Office to cancel the building permit of several on-going constructions in the city due to dirty surroundings.  
    The mayor said this should serve as a warning to other project owners and contractors to see to the upkeep of their worksites as part of their obligations attached to the building permits.
    The mayor has been warning public works contractors that he will readily file necessary complaints or impose sanctions for inability to comply with safety standards pursuant to the occupational safety and health standards strictly imposed by the labor and employment department. 
    For the safety of construction workers, he asserted all contractors must provide personal protective equipment to avoid any untoward incidents in their work areas. 
    The public may report untidy building construction sites to the City Buildings and Architecture Office at (074) 442-2503, +639261212394 or email building.baguiocity@gmail.com. 
    For road infrastructure projects, you may report to the City Engineering Office at (074) 445-2058 or email ceobaguio@yahoo.com. – JMPS 

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N. Vizcaya’s Batu Bridge nearly done to ease traffic, link Region 2, 3 provinces

By Liezle Basa Inigo

BAMBANG, Nueva Vizcaya -- The Batu Bridge project on the Daang Maharlika here is 55.98 percent complete, the Dept. of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said.
    The DPWH said this project will reduce traffic congestion and bolster economic ties through an additional bridge that will link the Daang Maharlika to the municipalities of Bambang and Bayombong in Nueva Vizcaya with Isabela, Quirino, and Cagayan.
    Currently in Phase 3 costing P19,248,582.18 this year, the project encompasses the installation of four pre-stressed concrete girders on Span 2 and a three-span deck slab on Spans 8, 9, and 10. 
    Phase 1 of the project in 2021 completed substructure construction (including bored piles, columns, and coping) at Piers 3 and 5 to 9 and Abutment B, along with the installation of 10 pre-stressed concrete girders spanning Piers 7 to 9. 

The following year,  remaining substructures were finalized at Piers 1, 2, and 4, and Abutment A, accompanied by the addition of 26 pre-stressed concrete girders spanning Piers 1, 3 to 6, and 1

The project is expected to be completed soon.

 

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Baguio building permit violators face charges

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY -- Building permit violators who will continue to defy notifications to comply with the requirement may face charges, the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) has warned.
    CBAO assistant department head engineer Stephen Capuyan said constructing structures without a building permit is considered a criminal act under Presidential Decree (PD 1096) or the National Building Code of the Philippines and under the statute, the building official can file charges against those who disregard the rule even after due process was employed by the office.
    Capuyan said the city government had employed a diplomatic tack to encourage building owners to legalize the status of their buildings and comply with the building code.
    A building permit promotions program was launched last April where the CBAO conducted information-education-communication (IEC) campaigns in the different barangays.
    A total of 31 barangays had so far been visited and a total of 1,744 residents with unpermitted buildings constructed on titled lots had been engaged.
    They were notified through letters informing and encouraging them to signify their intent to apply for building permit by accomplishing the form found at the link: https://tinyurl.com/4jwcz2fj.
    They were given 15 days to initiate the proceedings and if after 15 days they failed to signify their intention, they will be given a 15-day extension through a follow-up letter.
    They were also fully informed that if they still fail to secure the permit despite the extension then the city can issue a notice of violation and commence the proceedings as per the building code.
    Capuyan said that out of the 1,744, only 468 served their intention to apply for permits.
    This month, the CBAO began issuing notices of violations for building owners both with titled and untitled lands with imposition of P10,000 administrative fine also prescribed under the code.

    He said the city wrote the Dept. of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to waive the fine to encourage more residents to avail of the program but no reply has yet been received.

    To help residents facilitate their applications, the city also engaged the different associations of private engineers and concerned professionals to lower the costs of building plans and other requirements as part of their corporate social responsibility.

    This after residents complained of the high cost of the requirements to process the permit.

    Capuyan said the fees imposed by the city for the building permits are minimal however, the cost of the requirements like the plans and other documents which are obtained from private practitioners are indeed quite prohibitive.  

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Yap: More classrooms to be built in Benguet towns

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – More classrooms are needed in Benguet and for this, Rep. Eric Yap said he was working out allocation of P200 million for these in the province.
    The budget will cover school buildings that will be built in Tacadang, Kibungan, Bangao, Buguias; Kapangan; Itogon, Tuba among others.
    Yap said funds for said school buildings range from P25 million to P40 million as earlier requested by the education department following reports on damages to school facilities because of Typhoon "Egay."
Establishment of conducive learning environment for children and exposing them to sports that will mold them to become well-rounded leaders in the future, he added.
     Education, the congressman said, is the best inheritance that parents and guardians could give their children because it cannot be easily taken away from them and at the same time they could use the same to become productive citizens of the country through various activities that will uplift the living condition of their families in the future.
    Yap said he will source out funds to sustain implementation of high impact development projects in the province.

Projects include especially the rehabilitation, upgrading, opening, and construction of roads in remote villages.

 

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Tanudan hospital being built; folks need not go to Tabuk for health needs

TANUDAN, Kalinga -- A 25-bed health facility will soon rise in this municipality to provice quality health care services to folks.
Mayor Jaedick Rhoss Dagadag said construction of the district hospital is on with initial funding of P5 million which came from the provincial government and another P40 million that was part of proceeds of a loan obtained by the province. Dagadag said the counterpart of the municipal government the partnership was more than 2,000-square meter lot where the hospital structure was being constructed.
He said the provincial government needs more than P100 million to complete the health facility and working with concerned government agencies for needed funding to complete the project.
    “The municipal government remains optimistic that the provincial government will be able to source out sufficient funds to be able to complete the construction and make the hospital operational,” he said.
    Once this health facility is completed, Tanudan residents will no longer have to go to Tabuk City for hospitalization and health services.
    Availability of quality health care services in low income municipalities, he added, will contribute in the implementation of the government's universal health care program and make available the appropriate services to the people in the countryside to death among folks for failure to be provided with the treatment for their illnesses.
    The mayor said the municipal government is monitoring monitor construction of the hospital's structure to ensure that it will be implemented based on project specifications and standards so that the healthy facility will be compliant to prescribed guidelines in the operation of district hospitals.
 

 

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P106-M road, bridge proj set in Kabayan

By Elvy T. Estacio

KABAYAN, Benguet -- The municipal government recently broke ground for the P106.60 million improvement of Balang-Bocao farm-to-market road with vehicular bridge here at Barangay Eddet. 
    The 2.345 km with a bridge length of 72 linear meters was started Sept. 5.
    It is the sole access to Eddet, where around 178 hectares are planted with white potato, carrots, cauliflower, and tomato among other vegetables.
    It is the second FMR project in Kabayan under the Dept. of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP). 
    The project is expected to be completed in 420 days around October next year.
    The laying of the capsule was led by Kabayan Mayor Florante B. Bantales Jr., and engineer and DA-CAR OIC regional executive director lawyer Jennilyn M. Dawayan, RPCO-CAR I-BUILD  component head engineer Gaston B. Cael, with representatives from the project contractor - Balintugan Construction, municipal LGU officials, Sangguniang Bayan members and barangay LGU led by Punong Barangay Eric F. Postino.
    Residents of Barangay Eddet also witnessed the official groundbreaking of the project

During the program, municipal planning and development coordinator engineer Berry Sangao Jr. provided an overview of the subproject and its milestones.

He shared how they, the LGU technical working group, were able to fulfil compliances and cope up with challenges they encountered in the process of having the subproject approved. 

As construction work were about to commence, Municipal Agriculturist Geoffrey Binnaliw asked for  cooperation and understanding of the community since transportation will be limited and they might have to go back to the old means of carrying their agricultural products.

He urged folks to reach out to the barangay or to the municipal LGU, should there be any issues related to the construction.

“This development is very beneficial for the community here and the adjacent barangays as well. This calls for a community effort so let’s cooperate and support this project,” Binnaliw added.

Postino committed to take care of the project with community members. 

Mayor Bantales said he will oversee implementation of the subproject and that it will be completed in the earliest possible time.

“The LGU and the DA will always work hand in hand to bring an enormous and sustainable development in this community,” said Bantales expressing his gratitude to everyone involved.

In her message, Dawayan acknowledged the collaboration, openness, and unity of the LGU and the community for having a common interest and for overcoming hurdles that came along the way. 

“This is our collective responsibility to check, monitor the subproject because this is for the benefit of the community,” said Dawayan as she expressed her gratitude for the collaboration. 

 

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City Council: Give crash plan over faulty project

BAGUIO CITY – The City Council told the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) to submit to the local legislative body the crash program relative to the project Sustainable Infrastructure Projects Alleviating Gaps (SIPAG) construction of a multipurpose building at Wright Park.
    Council resolution 508, series of 2023, stated that during a recent deliberation on the said matter, the council directed monitoring teams from the CEPMO, being the implementing office of the ongoing projects being implemented at Wright Park, and the contractor to submit a crash program to ensure the latter will finish the project at the end of the year.
    Earlier, local legislators raised issues and suggestions during their August 14 session relative to the proposed resolution introduced by Councilor Maria Mylen Victoria G. Yaranon that urgently invited the CEPMO, City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO), City Administrator and the contractor to the next regular session to shed light on the July 17 Dept. of Public Works and Highways – Baguio City District Engineering Office (DPWH-BCDEO) report on the alleged substandard construction of the multi-million multipurpose building at Wright Park.
    The said report noted serious defects on the projects being implemented at Wright Park aside from the failure of the contractor to present project documents such as project log book, materials log book, concrete pouring plan, concrete pouring permits and materials test results among others.
    Under resolution 506, series of 2023, the body also urged the City Legal Office (CLO) to submit to the council its comments on the possibility of terminating the project contracts awarded to KHATIB Construction under the project memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the DPWH-BCDEO and the local government for implementation of ongoing projects at Wright Park within 10 days from receipt of the same.

Further, resolution 507, series of 2023 told the City Project Monitoring Committee, and CEPMO, to strictly perform its functions under executive order 27, series of 2023 on implementation and monitoring of the ongoing projects at Wright Park and to submit a report to the council on any development of the said projects.

Resolution 509, series of 2023 also urged KHATIB Construction to complete the ongoing projects being implemented at Wright Park by the end of December this year.

Among the said projects include SIPAG – construction of multipurpose building at Wright Park and Basic Infrastructure Program (BIP) – construction of multipurpose building at Barangay Lualhati. -- Dexter A. See

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City officials discover 96-K illegal structures

_{CROWDED. This portion of Bokawkan Road, Guisad Road, and several other villages in Baguio City have become populated with houses, as viewed from a high elevation in Barangay Fairview. The City Building and Architecture Office has started to notify at least 96,000 structure owners in Baguio to comply with the requirement under the Building Code to have building permits so they could avoid sanctions. -- by Liza T. Agoot/PNA}

 

_{By Liza Agoot S}

_{BAGUIO CITY – Owners of about 96,000 structures built without required building permits thus deemed illegal, were told to correct their status or penalties and possibly demolition for violating Presidential Decree 1096 of the National Building Code of the Philippines.
    Information Office chief Aileen Refuerzo, in an interview on Tuesday, said non-compliance was discovered following site visits for census and after satellite images were matched with the registry of the city government.
    She said the City Building and Architecture Office (CBAO) started to issue letters and notices of violations (NOVs) to building owners.
    During a closed-door management committee meeting last week, CBAO assistant department head Stephen Capuyan said the 96,000 structures were composed of residential and commercial buildings, both standing on titled and untitled lots.
    The National Building Code of the Philippines prohibits the construction of structures without building permits. Violators will be penalized with an administrative fine of P10,000.
    She clarified that payment of the fine does not mean that owners no longer need to get permits.
Building owners on personally titled properties can submit an undertaking and commence the process of permitting.
    Those on untitled properties or “tax declaration” properties must commence the titling of the land and proceed to apply for a permit.
    Refuerzo said the CBAO has been doing a building permit promotions program, encouraging owners to obtain permits to legitimize the status of their structures.
    A building permit is an assurance of the safety of the structures especially, in times of calamities, she added.
“    Failure to comply will compel the CBAO to issue a notice of violation and start the proceedings under the building codes,” she said.
    The city has so far collected an average of P4 million since 2021 from building permit violations.
    The revenue is expected to increase when the CBAO imposes the penalty on the unpermitted structures identified in the census. -- PNA}
 

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PBBM, Ombudsman urged: Probe Sagada road project

Ato-Engan-Mobo- Lamagan-Atowanan farm to market road 

Folks, tourists endangered

By Gina Dizon

  SAGADA, Mountain Province -- President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Ombudsman and concerned offices were urge to probe and take immediate action over a dangerous road project in this tourist town. 
    Writing on behalf of her family and the Atowanan-Malbo community, affected resident Janice Borja urged said officials to take action considering it posed danger to residents and tourists.  
    A part of the damaged  Ato-Engan- Lamagan- Mobo- Atowanan  farm to market road cracked at the height of  Typhoon Egay brought down pavements with obviously no reinforcement and parapet along the Engan section of the said FMR  endangering households and properties below, above and near the damaged road.

 The state of the FMR is reportedly dangerous to passersby, residents, farmers, other locals and visitors who use the road.

Said FMR was funded with P29.5 million from the Integrated Natural Resources Environment Management Program (INREMP) of the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Cordillera Administrative Region and a P3 million counterpart from the municipality of Sagada.

Said FMR was implemented by the regional Dept. of Agriculture (DA) and the municipality of Sagada in 2018. 

Borja in same letter to Regional Director Cameron Odsey of the  Dept. of Agriculture and DENR Regional Director  Ralph Pablo  asked for immediate reconstruction of the road.

 “The road needs to be resurfaced, and potholes and cracks must be filled. Pavements and parapet must have reinforcement steel bars,” Borja stated in her letter.

     “A thorough inspection of the newly built home should be conducted to assess the structural damages. Based on the findings, necessary repairs should be made to ensure the safety of the inhabitants and prevent further deterioration of the property,” she added.

    Also in same letter to Sagada Municipal Mayor Felicito Dula, Borja asked for the cleaning up of the site and repair of their damaged home. 

    The complainant wrote the Office of the Ombudsman and Commission on Audit that investigation be conducted on the construction of the road stating, “The road was not built to proper standards and that this is the reason for its current condition.”

 

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VM, Council hit city gov’t offices over Baguio project

  After DPWH finds violations, defects

By Aldwin Quitasol

BAGUIO CITY – The City Council headed by Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan assailed the Baguio City Building and Architecture Office (CBAO) and City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) over an infrastructure project by the city government here at tourist area in Wright Park, Pacdal.
    This after the Dept. of Public Works and Highways City District Engineering Office found violations, defects among other problems in project construction. Wright Park is one of favorite spots of visitors where folks enjoy horseback-riding among others.
    The DPWH informed the City Council the project was funded by the national government worth P30 million from taxpayers' money.
    The said agency provided pictures of foundations of the multi-purpose building where steel bars were not of standard quality while installation of posts and beams was poorly done by the contractor.
    The CBAO and CEPMO are implementing offices of said project.
    Olowan said they were surprised it was the DPWH that discovered the problematic project instead of implementing agencies like CBAO and CEPMO who should be doing regular inspection and monitoring of the project.
    The vice mayor said they were wondering why the CBAO and CEPMO did not look at the matter when there were many technical experts from the local government of Baguio.
    Architect Johnny Degay of the CBAO told the City Council they would start strict monitoring of the controversial project.
    He said they already formed a monitoring team that will conduct daily inspections on construction of the supposed multi-purpose building.
    The City Council agreed to pass a resolution directing CBAO and CEPMO to furnish them reports of the accomplishments on the construction so they will see development of the project.
 

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Dredging, infra projects to to address Dagupan floods

FLOOD. Residents wade through a flooded road in Dagupan City on Wednesday (Aug. 2, 2023). Mayor Belen Fernandez said dredging and improved infrastructures are measures seen to address flooding in the city. (Photo courtesy of Mayor Belen Fernandez Facebook page)

By Hilda Austria 

DAGUPAN CITY – The local government here on Wednesday said it is looking into continuous dredging and investing in infrastructures to address perennial flooding in the city.
    Many barangays of this city and Pangasinan towns were flooded due to continuous rains spawned by recent Typhoon Egay. 
    In a statement on her official social media account, Mayor Belen Fernandez said these measures were brought up during a dialogue between officials from the city and national government and residents of the coastal villages involved in the implementation of the proposed River Restoration Project.
    “Aming ibinahagi sa mga residente ng coastal barangays ang Proposed Agno River Restoration Project na napapanahon na dahil sa lumalalang 'siltation' o 'namuong putik' sa kailugan, dahilan ng mas mataas na pagbaha sa mabababang lugar, lalo na po rito sa Dagupan bilang 'catch basin' (We shared to the residents of the coastal barangays the proposed Agno River Restoration Project which is timely due to the siltation in the rivers that causes higher floodwaters in low-lying areas especially in Dagupan that is considered a catch basin),” she said.
    Fernandez said experts recommended continuous dredging operations in the rivers with the help of the Department of Public Works and Highways-Ilocos Region.

Fernandez said they have already coordinated with the barangay officials to determine the areas that will be subjected to dredging operations which will start from the portion of Pantal and Calmay River, Barangay Bonuan Gueset, to the mouth of the river in Barangay Pugaro.

She also vowed to focus on infrastructure projects aside from the dredging operations.

“We will also focus on strengthening the dikes, elevation of roads, and drainage upgrades, pumping stations, and rehabilitation of outlets and creeks, with the assistance of the national government, Pangasinan Governor Ramon Guico and Abono party-list Representative Robert Raymund Estrella Jr.,” she added.

The coastal villages of Dagupan City include Barangays Calmay, Lomboy, Pugaro Suit, Salapingao, Pantal, and Bonuan Gueset. -- PNA

 

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Height of buildings in Baguio studied up to 15 storeys high

BAGUIO CITY -- The local government is studying the possibility of allowing the construction of buildings that will be up to fifteen stories to address the rapidly increasing demand for shelter among the city’s populace.
    City Administrator Bonifacio dela Pena said that the said possibility is being included in the ongoing review of the City Land Use Plan and the amendments that will be introduced in the city’s zoning ordinance.
    He added that the final details of the said plan will be incorporated in the updating of the said land use plan and zoning ordinance considering the city’s limited spaces compared to the increasing demand for residential and commercial structures.
    The city administrator claimed that the put up of high-rise buildings will heavily depend on the results of the soil test and other related factors that will be provided and incorporated in the updated land use plan and zoning ordinance.
    At present, the height limit of structures that will be constructed in the city is around 8 stories depending on the carrying capacity of the soil and other related factors.
    According to him, the local government will be releasing pertinent details to the said possibility once the City Planning and Development Office shall have completed the ongoing study relative to the said intention to amend the land use plan and zoning ordinance.

The city’s land use plan and zoning ordinance was approved in 2016 and is expected to lapse this year. -- Dexter A. See

 

 

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Typhoon destroys P65-M infra, products in Sagada

SAGADA. This  Engan section of a 6 kilometer stretch of the P29.5 million Ato –Engan – Lamagan – Atowanan - Mobo farm to market road remains impassable to traverse the FMR to the town proper. Cuts of the FMR revealed pavements and parapet with no reinforcement steel bars sending the cracked pavements and parapets cascading to gardens burying harvestable corn and veggies and threatening houses and residents below, near and above the road. 

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province --  Typhoon Egay’s strong winds and rains the past week pummeled through this tourist town destroying an estimated  P65 million damage on roads causing landslides, road cuts, agricultural products, irrigation, drainage systems and footpaths,  data from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office bared.  
    MDRRM Officer Eddie Dapliyan said the Sagada-Dantay Road is closed to motorists due to a road cut at Sitio Owasan, Antadao.  
    Motorists coming up to Sagada or going either to Baguio or Manila, are advised to take the alternate road via Balili, Bontoc and Taccong, Sagada.
    Egay destroyed an estimated damage of  P29 million on provincial, municipal and barangay roads causing road cuts in barangays Antadao, Ambasing, Balugan, Nacagang,Tetep-an Sur, Bangaan, Patay and Demang. 
    Here also at sitio Ato, Poblacion Patay,a section at sitio Engan along the 6 kilometer stretch of the P29.5 million Ato –Engan – Lamagan – Atowanan - Mobo farm to market road revealed pavements and parapet with no reinforcement steel bars sending the cracked pavements and parapets cascading to gardens burying harvestable corn and veggies and threatening houses and residents below, near and above the road. 
    The Engan section remains impassable to traverse the FMR to the town proper.  
    An initial 1.3 kilometer Ato-Engan road was financed from the LGU’s P350,000 Bottoms- Up Planning (BuB) fund in 2013 and an additional fund from the already budgeted cost from Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management Project (CHARMP) in 2014. The Ato-Engan road was completed with slope protection retaining walls and parapet on to road concreting towards Mobo and Atowanan exiting towards the Sagada-Besao road implemented and funded by the Department of Agriculture- Integrated Natural Resource Management Project (DA-INREMP) with counterpart from the LGU in 2019.
Along the Besao-Sagada road, an uprooted pine tree and debris fell above the road blocking the street before it was restored to normal.
    A three-meter concrete pavement here at a barangay road to Demang sank some few meters, the street having a history of sinking. Demang folks immediate hauled soil and backfilled the caved-in pavement making the road passable again.  
    Same with barangay Pide, Balugan  at South Central Sagada where road cut remains  unrestored.  
    Balugan had major landslides below Mt Pakad in Balugan since1936 on to 1975 and again a few years back.  
    Typhoon Egay also sliced non - reinforced concrete pavements along a P4.4 million road to St Mary’s School here at barangay Poblacion and brought down s section of an adjoining access road funded by the LGU in 2019.    
    At Sagada Poblacion,  Egay caused  a major landslide beside the Church of St Mary the Virgin and uprooted century-old trees.
    Farmers from this vegetable, rice and fruit producing town suffered either flooded farms or toppled cucumber plants, corn plants, banana  and  coffee trees, and rice with fruits fallen  down the ground causing a reported estimated damage of some P10.5 million.
    Some P19.5 million estimated damage on community irrigation systems  were noted in barangays Aguid, and  Ankileng; farm to market roads in Patay and Ankileng; destroyed foot paths, drainage systems  and waterworks.
    An estimate damage of P1 million of a public building was reported at Patay Poblacion.

 

 

 

 

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Baguio building owners with no permit ordered: Stop construction work

BAGUIO CITY -- The City Buildings and Architectures Office issued warned builders here as four more notices of violation against structure owners without building permits in the city were issued last week.
    In Barangay Guisad Surong, the owner of an ongoing construction of a 4-storey residential structure in a titled property was directed to cease and desist from further construction activities due to lack of building permit.
    Another structure owner in the same barangay within a titled property was issued NOV for constructing an extension of a 1-storey residential house without building permit.
    In same barangay, a residential structure with an accessory storage structure was monitored without building permit and subject to issuance of NOV.
    In Busol watershed reservation, a soil levelling and excavation activity with was monitored and reported by environmental guards of the Baguio City Police Office while on foot patrol.
    The CBAO confirmed that there was no approved excavation and ground preparation permit issued prompting the city government to issue a cease and desist order.
    The city government through CBAO recently started an information education campaign in the barangays on building permit procedures as part of the intensified drive against illegal structures.
    The CBAO initiative is in line with the current administration’s agenda to abate urban decay by ensuring that new building constructions comply with laws per the National Building Code of the Philippines as well as safeguarding remaining forest covers of the city from intrusion. Inquiries on building permit requirements and procedures may be directed to CBAO by calling tel. no. 442-2503 or online registration of application in the link: tinyurl.com/4jwcz2fj. – JMPS

 

 

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Pangasinan to build int'l seaport in Sual

By Hilda Austria 

SUAL, Pangasinan – The provincial government of Pangasinan is accepting proposals from investors for the establishment of an international seaport in this town.
    Gov. Ramon Guico III, in an interview on Tuesday, said the province now has the authority to initiate improvements in seaports.
    “So, we are accepting proposals from proponents if they want to invest through probably joint venture agreement or public and private partnership with the province,” he said.
    This is in line with the goal of Guico to make Pangasinan an industrial hub that is accessible by land, air, and sea.
    An initial meeting for consultation with J.M. Vila Design & Consultancy regarding the project was held on July 12.
    Engr. Juancho Vila, group leader of J.M Vila Design & Consultancy during the meeting, said there is a need to develop the international seaport due to congestion at Manila International Container Terminal.
    He said Sual is worth considering given that it has the Sual Power Plant and with the impending construction of the Pangasinan Link Expressway (PLEX) phase 1 that would cut short travel time from the eastern and western portions of Pangasinan.
    Meanwhile, the PLEX project is a joint with the San Miguel Holdings Corporation, as the winning bidder.
    Guico, in a recent interview, said the province will not spend a single centavo on this project, but the province will be a major partner in terms of ownership and in terms of revenue.
    He said phase one of the PLEX project will cover a 42.76 kilometer (km) stretch from Binalonan town to Lingayen town, the province’s capital.
    The project will cover 6.9 km from Binalonan to Manaoag towns, then 11.30 km from Manaoag to Calasiao towns, and 2.39 km from Calasiao area to Lingayen towns, covering 22.17 km.
    Under the agreement, the province will be entitled to a 5 percent share in the toll revenue and commercial development revenues of the project from the start of the concession period, he said.
    “The provincial government is also entitled to the 30 percent of the earnings before taxes after the proponent has exceeded a project internal rate return (PIRR) of 10 percent,” he added.

 

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Baguio checks construction without biulding permits

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY -- The city government is checking ongoing constructions that are not covered by building permits.
    Among the constructions stopped was the livelihood shed at Lualhati barangay which according to the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) is being undertaken by the barangay within its garden premises.
    The CBAO said that the construction of the single story structure proposed as a livelihood shed was still ongoing when inspected last July 14, 2023.
    The barangay was instructed to stop construction activities and to secure a building permit prior to resuming work on the structure.
    A private citizen reported the construction, worried that it will undermine the community garden being tilled by the barangay.

The CBAO also called out several structures being built in the different barangays for lacking the necessary permits.

A multi-storey building along Carino St. which was having an additional floor installed was issued a notice of violation with cease and desist order for proceeding with the construction without the building permit.

The owner was instructed to secure the permit before resuming the work.

A structure at Ciudad Grande, Phase 2 in Bakakeng Norte barangay was also slapped with a NOV after a portion was found to occupy the road right-of-way or the sidewalk.

The owner was advised to voluntarily remove the protruding portion within 15 days and will be monitored by the CBAO for compliance.

In Suello Village, Sto. Tomas Proper, another ongoing construction located on a titled property inspected last July 7, 2023 was found to have no business permit prompting the CBAO to issue an NOV with order to cease and desist from further construction activities.

The owner who earlier told policemen that he had a pending application for building permit was directed to secure the permit prior to the resumption of construction activities.

The incident was reported by the BCPO Station 10.

 

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