BAGUIO CITY – The local government and coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways-Baguio City District Engineering Office (DPWH-BCDEO) issued to owners of some 273 establishments along Marcos highway that were previously uncovered to have encroached in the road-right-of-way of the national road the second demolition notices for them to voluntarily demolish portions of their structures that encroached on one of the main highways in the city.
Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said there is a need to immediately dismantle the encroachments introduced by the 273 establishments on parts of the road-right-of-way to bring those areas back as part of the road thus ensuring the smooth flow of traffic along one of the major roads leading to the city proper.
He said the local government and the DPH-BCDEO recently issued to the establishment owners their second demolition notices and that the third demolition notices will be given out to them by next week to comply with the 3-notice rule prior to the outright removal of the improvements that were introduced on the road-right-of-way of the national road.
The local chief executive claimed that after having complied with the prescribed 3-notice rule, the local government and the DPWH-BCDEO will be scheduling the demolition of the identified encroachments anytime right after the lapse of the grace period that were provided them to voluntarily demolish their improvements.
Under the prevailing rules and regulations, owners of establishments who were issued notices of demolition for encroaching on the road-right-of-way of the Palispis-Aspiras highway or other national roads in the city can file their appeal to the Public Works Secretary.
Further, owners of establishments that encroached on the road-righty-of-way of national roads will be issued 3 notices for them to voluntarily remove or dismantle the structures they built over portions of the road within a 21-day period and that their refusal to do so will constrain the local government and the DPWH-BCDEO to facilitate the dismantling of those illegal structures.
Magalong ordered the CBAO, in coordination with the DPWH-BCDEO, to already issue the appropriate notices to the identified owners of establishments that encroached on the road-right-of-way of the Palispis-Aspiras highway so that the dismantling of the structures could immediately be done once they refuse to comply with the request of voluntary demolition.
The city mayor conducted an ocular inspection along the Palispis-Aspiras highway to ascertain the areas where encroachments on the road-right-of-way were done by the identified establishments and to remind business owners to voluntarily remove such encroachments to prevent the local government from doing it for them.
Earlier, the CBAO and the DPWH-BCDEO conducted an inspection along major roads around the city to identify the establishments that encroached on the road-right-of-way of the national roads and subsequent notices were issued to the establishment owners but no concrete actions were done by the establishment owners to dismantle the structures they erected on the roads.
By Dexter A. See
