BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance establishing the Baguio City Clearinghouse Board, defining its functions pursuant to Executive Order No. 708, series of 2008 and for other necessary purposes.
The ordinance authored by Vice Mayor Edison R. Bilog stated that the board shall be composed of the City Mayor as chairperson with the City Building official as action officer and the Chairperson of the Committee in Urban Planning, Lands and Housing, ?City Engineer, City Planning and Development Coordinator, Investigation and Demolition Division of the City Buildings and Architecture office (CBAO), Public Order and Safety Division, Baguio City Police office (BCPO), representative from a duly accredited civil society organization and other member members as may be identified by the board once convened as regular members.
The ordinance stipulated that as the sole clearinghouse for eviction and demolition activities concerning informal settlers in danger areas, public places and government projects, the board shall monitor all evictions and demolitions, whether voluntary or extrajudicial, summary or court ordered; require the proponent of eviction and demolition to first secure from the board the checklist, guidelines in eviction and demolition compliance certificate prior to the actual implementation and thereafter submit to the board the completed checklist, attested under oath by the proponent and indicating that adequate consultations with the affected families were undertaken, adequate resettlement site and relocation facilities are made available and the provisions of Section 3, paragraph 1 of the implementing rules and regulations of Section 28 of Republic Act (RA) 7279 have been complied with and based on the completed checklist and subject to further verification, issue an eviction and demolition compliance certificate on a proposed eviction and demolition.
The ordinance added that the board shall, in coordination with other government agencies including the proponent, oversee the conduct of evictions and demolitions in accordance with Section 27, 28 and 30 of RA 7279 and its implementing rules and regulations. In the case of an extrajudicial eviction or demolition, the compliance certificate application shall constitute inputs for data banking activities, and serve as advance notice to ensure board’s presence of its representative during the conduct of the eviction and demolition.
In case of a court-ordered eviction and demolition, the board shall establish the appropriate schemes to monitor the same in coordination with the pertinent government agencies.
In monitoring the conduct of actual demolition, the board has to observe the conduct of an actual eviction and demolition and prepare a detailed report on the compliance or non-compliance of said activity to existing rules and regulations.
The ordinance stated that the local government shall appropriate at least 1 percent of its annual internal revenue allotment (IRA) for the operations and activities of the members of the board.
The board shall coordinate with all government agencies to ensure the efficient and effective implementation of the provisions of the measure.
By Dexter A. See
