BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan ordered concerned offices of the local government to adopt measures that will ensure the immediate removal of illegal structures that are being erected on titled properties, safeguarded and protected lands in the different parts of the city.
The local chief executive met with City Planning and Development Officer Evelyn G. Cayat, City Building Official Nazita F. Bañez, City Assessor Maria Almaya Adawe, City Engineer Edgar Victorio Olpindo, City legal Officer Melchor Carlos Rabanes and members of the local government’s legal team and the secretariat of the City Anti-Squatting and Illegal Structures Committee to firm up the needed strategies to fastrack the removal of the illegal structures being erected on titled private properties and safeguarded and protected lands of the city.
In the issuance of clearance on road-right-of-way, it was agreed that the City Engineer will only issue the clearance whether or not the lot being applied by an individual for titling falls within the road-right-of-way of existing city and barangay roads and it is not within the jurisdiction of the said office to conclude whether or not the said are being applied for will no longer be needed by the local government for its public requirements.
The City Engineering Office was also tasked to ensure that the measurement of city and barangay roads will conform with prescribed standards so that there will be no deviations in the measurement of roads in the different parts of the city thereby allowing applicants for the titling of lands to reportedly encroach on the road-right-of-way of the said roads that contribute to the construction of existing roads.
Domogan agreed to the suggestions that there should be a map showing the city’s road network and the metes and bounds of roads is that it will be easier for concerned offices to determine whether or not there are already encroachments that are being done by individuals building structures in their supposed lands in the different parts of the city.
On the other hand, the secretariat of the City Anti-squatting and Illegal Structures Committee was requested to fastrack the issuance of summary demolition orders for on-going illegal construction activities on titled properties, safeguarded and protected lands in the city so that the removal of the erected structures will be easier compared to the situation when the built structure will be completed before being demolished.
Previously, the measurement of the road-right-of-way of city and barangay roads were based on the edges of titles that were issued to property owners in the area but there were some property owners who allegedly extended their properties to the extent that the same had encroached in the road-right-of-way of city and barangay roads.
Technical personnel of the concerned offices were tasked to conduct an ocular inspection of the lands being applied by individuals and groups to ascertain the fact that the properties will not encroach on the existing road-right-of-way so that there will be no problems of constricted roads that will result to the prevalence of monstrous traffic congestions around the city.
By Dexter A. See