BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan ordered the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) to prepare the program of work and cost estimates for the construction of the new barangay hall of Kayang-Hilltop so that the city could demolish the old structure which is causing an eyesore in the area.
The local chief executive made the directive to CBAO after the inclusion of the funding for the new barangay hall of Kayang Hilltop in this year’s P1.776 billion annual budget.
A demolition order was previously issued by the city government for the removal of the illegal structure currently being used as the barangay hall, a vending area and allegedly hosting Bingo sa Barangay activities and illegal gambling operations.
Domogan said while the budget is being reviewed by the concerned government agency, there is a need for CBAO to start preparing the program of work and cost estimates of the barangay hall so that it could immediately be bid out once the budget passes the review and its eventual implementation within the middle part of this year.
He claimed the use of the existing structure as the barangay hall of Kayang Hilltop had been the subject of numerous complaints by the public since it is illegally constructed on a road right-of-way and its removal and replacement will be more aesthetic.
Domongan appealed to barangay officials for cooperation with the impending removal of their current barangay hall as agreed upon earlier and be patient in waiting for the construction of the new structure.
Under the provisions of the Local Government Code, the annual budgets of local governments are subject to review by the regional office of the budget department within 90 days after the said budgets had been submitted to the concerned government agency for review.
The city’s P1.776 billion annual budget was enacted through an appropriation ordinance on December 29, 2017, and the same was subsequently transmitted to the budget department after the local chief executive’s partial veto was overridden by the members of the local legislative body sometime in February.
By Dexter A. See
