THE Office of the City Building Official said a number of school buildings in Cebu City don’t have a building permit, and they will submit a list of those who failed to secure one by next week.
Acting OBO chief Engr. Josefa Ylanan said even without a permit, the schools can continue to hold their classes in the buildings.
“It is already the start of classes. At least, the students can occupy the premises,” she said.
She said the situation is different when the building is located in a hazardous area.
Ylanan said she will then advise the schools to vacate the buildings immediately.
In her fifth day as OBO chief, Ylanan said her office had not received any reports of structures without building permits.
She said she anticipated this because some contractors were either too far from the city or scared to apply for a permit.
The OBO acting chief said the schools could just secure a permit after the buildings are built in order for them to be legal.
“It’s just a matter of document,” Ylanan said.
Ylanan said a building permit can help government ensure that building owners comply with regulations stated in the National Building Code of the Philippines./UP Cebu Intern Maurice Jitty M. Villaester