Ensuring the safety of the structures and the people occupying them is the city’s primordial aim in requiring residents to secure building permits.
This was stressed by City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) Assistant Head Stephen Capuyan during the City Hall Hours press briefing held Feb. 26, 2025.
Capuyan said when securing building permits, the residential or commercial buildings are assessed as to the soundness of the structural and architectural make up, electrical connections and sanitary facilities.
“Therefore when your structure is covered by a building permit, it means that it is compliant with Presidential Decree 1096 or the National Building Code and you can be assured that you and your family are safe,” he said.
He urged barangay officials and residents to support CBAO’s building permit promotion program which encourages structure owners to apply for permits whether these are located on titled or untitled lots.
For titled lots, permits can be processed immediately upon submission of the requirements. For unregistered lots, the same requirements may be submitted but the application will be archived until land titling has been completed.
Building owners may apply online by accomplishing the form found at the link: https://tinyurl.com/4jwcz2fj.
The city leveled up its building permit program in 2021 upon the instance of Mayor Benjamin Magalong to help residents legalize the status of their structures.
The CBAO then conducted a census of all existing permitted and unpermitted structures in all of the barangays.
Capuyan said that to date, a total of 94 barangays out of the 128 had been inventoried.
He said the program has been successful in informing the residents of the requirements but some are discouraged because of the cost of building plans and professional fees. Another challenge is that some structures have encroached on roads and right-of-ways.
Capuyan said building owners may approach the associations like the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) and the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) to request for discounted rates.
For those that violated the two meter road setback rule, the CBAO requires owners to submit an affidavit that they will remedy the situation at a given period. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
