Some 175 illegal structures built along the road-right-of-way in 3 national roads in the city were demolished by joint personnel of the Department of Public Works and Highways–Baguio City District Engineering Office (DPWH-BCDEO) and the city government over the past several months.
Engr. Stephen Capuyan of the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) said that of the number of illegal structures, 118 structures were demolished along the Palispis-Aspiras Highway, previously known as Marcos Highway, 40 structures were situated along the Baguio-Bauang Road popularly known as Naguilian Road and 9 structures were located along Kennon Road.
He added the DPWH-BCDEO and the city government will continue to pursue the demolition of the illegal structures that obstruct the smooth flow of traffic in major roads around the city to help in the all-out campaign of the government to recover the squatted portions.
One of the present administration’s 15-point collective agenda is the revitalization of the city’s environment through the dismantling of the illegal structures erected by the residents along the road-right-of-way of major road networks and the easement of waterways located in the different parts of the city.
Capuyan stated that although the ongoing efforts of the DPWH-BCDEO and city government had been stalled by the quarantine measures against the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, notices of violation to owners of illegal structures will still be issued to ensure their compliance to the dismantling of the improvements to allow the width of the roads to be recovered for public use.
According to him, there are still many illegal structures issued notices of violation that remain along the national roads thus the CBAO is closely working with the DPWH-BCDEO to schedule the dismantling of such improvements to widen the said roads and smoothen the flow of vehicular traffic and prevent the proliferation of illegal structures on the road-right-of-way.
Under the prevailing guidelines, owners of illegal structures are given 7 days from receipt of the notice of violation to demolish their improvements that encroached on the road-right-of-way voluntarily.
Moreover, 2 similar notices with the same grace period will be issued to the identified violators to complete the prescribed 3-notice rule and 21-day grace period for the said structure owners to voluntarily remove their illegal structures.
However, if the violators will not dismantle their improvements on the road-right-of-way, the city demolition team will then schedule the demolition of the improvements similar to what had happened in most cases in the past.
Capuyan stated there are also instances when building owners voluntarily demolished their improvements on the road-right-of-way of national roads. By DEXTER A. SEE