Status quo in demolition of John Hay structures sought

City officials recently requested the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) and the management of Camp John hay (CJH) for status quo for any demolition of all affected residents over the lands covered by the reservation area.

Under Resolution No. 379, series of 2024, local legislators also requested that the residents within the reservation be allowed to repair their dilapidated structures without necessarily paying any administrative fines.

The council claimed that some residential structures in the area need to be repaired but the affected individuals cannot allegedly restore their houses because of various issues such as they are not allowed to get a building permit and instead they are being issued with notices of violation and administrative fines or penalties.

Earlier, the body considered the plight of concerned residents of various barangays living within the CJH reservation regarding building permit issuance over ancestral lands within the said area.

The body passed Resolution No. 476, series of 2023 that directed the CBAO to issue construction, building and/or fencing permits to owners covered by Certificate of Ancestral Land Title (CALT) or Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) but the same was returned unsigned by the City Mayor stating that he can confirm that the present administration is fully committed to its campaign of seeing to the safety and integrity of structures through the issuance of the requisite building permits pursuant to the National Building Code of the Philippines.

The council stipulated that the CBAO and the CJH management shall suspend the collection of any administrative fines or building permit fees until such time that this matter is clarified as to who has jurisdiction over the collection of the said fees.

The council tasked the Committee on Indigenous Peoples/Indigenous Cultural Communities to assist the affected residents covered by the CJH reservation to negotiate with the concerned offices on the said matter.

Copies of the approved resolution will be transmitted to the CBAO and CJH management for information, guidance, ready reference and further needed action. Dexter A. See