BAGUIO City is adopting a more aggressive stance against informal settling, setting out to halt ongoing construction work in residential and forest reservations that are not covered by building permits.
The crackdown was ordered by Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong, tasking the core group called the Baguio Anti-Squatting and Illegal Structures (BASIS), to conduct inspections and identify and stop structural developments not covered by the necessary permits.
The BASIS is composed of personnel from the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO), the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO), the City Legal Office, the City Engineering Office (CEO) and deputized environment officers of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO).
The inspections have led to nine cease and desist orders to date, including an ongoing residential building construction at GEFA barangay, construction of a rooftop enclosure at Roman Ayson, Campo Filipino, four ongoing structural developments in Barangay Outlook Drive, and three ongoing large constructions at Navy Base St. Joseph Village.
“Please know that the city is taking this campaign seriously since this is a very crucial issue in our city. It is not just an issue of safety but also of health and sanitation, all of which are critical factors affecting the well-being of our residents,” the mayor said.
