The Office of the Building Official in Tagbilaran City has issued a notice of illegal construction to the Provincial Government of Bohol as it ordered the construction of a bagsakan center at Carlos P. Garcia Park in the city without a building permit.
“Na-receive na sa provincial government ang notice of illegal construction, served by the Office of the Building Official,” said Fulgencio Sabijon, zoning officer of the Tagbilaran City Engineering Office, in an interview over station dyRD’s top-rated “Inyong Alagad” program on Thursday.
Starting construction of a structure without a building permit is a violation of Section 301 of Presidential Decree (PD) 1096, otherwise known as the National Building Code of the Philippines.
The PD stipulates that “No person, firm or corporation, including any agency or instrumentality of the government shall erect, construct, alter, repair, move, convert or demolish any building or structure or cause the same to be done without first obtaining a building permit therefore from the Building Official assigned in the place where the subject building is located or the building work is to be done.”
“Natural lang ug dapat lang na mo-stick ta sa rule and procedure—permit first before the construction,” Sabijon added.
A stoppage order has also been issued against the contractor of the Capitol-led project due to the lack of building permit.
The city official explained that no building permit was issued to the provincial government due to the city’s zoning ordinance which prohibits the construction of a market near a public park, national road or school.
The province’s bagsakan center violates all three zoning restrictions as it is located at the CPG Park, near the Bohol Wisdom School and along CPG North Avenue, which is a national road.
“Ang atong ordinance diri nag-ingon na once na naay merkado, dili siya maduol sa atoang plaza or skwelahan ug dili fronting sa national road,” Sabijon said.
Not a showroom
It was also established that the Capitol’s facility was supposed to be an “Agri-Fishery Market and Bagsakan Center” as indicated in their application for the building permit which was submitted by Camilo Gasatan of the Provincial Engineering Office.
In the province’s detailed plan it was also indicated that the facility will be selling fish, vegetables, fruits and other products.
The Capitol through provincial agriculturist Larry Pamugas defended the project stating that the facility will not be a wet market and will not be selling fresh fish and other seafood.
He earlier claimed that the structure is intended to be a “showroom,” not a bagsakan center.
According to Sabijon, the application for the building permit was submitted on February 8 and then withdrawn on February 16.
“Mura’g naa ni silay revision, pero so far wala pa ma receive sa atoang buhatan,” he said.
Meanwhile, it has been noted that construction at the market’s supposed site in CPG park has been stopped. (R. Tutas)