Over 100 Marcos Highway establishments inspected in aggressive clean and orderly drive
BAGUIO CITY — Over a hundred establishments along Marcos Highway were subjected to lightning inspections by joint teams composed of city government offices on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023 as part of the continuing aggressive clean and orderly campaign.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong ordered the inspections last Aug. 21 to 23 after noting the very disorderly and dirty conditions in the area, particularly from the Sto. Tomas Junction going down Baguio-Tuba boundary.
As per the mayor’s directive, the Public Order and Safety Division (POSD) and the Permits and Licensing Division (PLD), both operating under the City Mayor’s Office, took the helm.
Concurrently, the Sanitation Division of the City Health Services Office (CHSO) conducted inspections to identify violations of Sanitation and Health codes.
Similarly, the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) scrutinized establishments for compliance with building permits and other requisites outlined in the National Building Code.
The City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) verified adherence to stipulations within the City Environmental Code, while the City Engineering Office (CEO) evaluated road conditions.
The General Services Office (GSO) was responsible for the collection and disposal of accumulated garbage and debris.
The group, divided into two teams, was accompanied by the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) operatives, and the barangay officials of Sto. Tomas Proper and Dontogan.
Establishments found to have incurred violations were issued notices.
Initial reports said the CBAO found 85 establishments that have no building permits while CEPMO had nine others with environmental infringement.
The PLD checked on the status of business operations in the area to determine if these have complied with the business permit rule.
The following day, the office met with the 29 business operators in the area who had been issued closure orders earlier to discuss their circumstances in the presence of the lawyers from the City Legal Office.
Mayor Magalong thanked the team for the swift and substantial action.
“Thank you Teams for today’s hard work. Your efforts resulted in disciplining our businessmen along Marcos Highway. That area, as we know, is a gateway to our city and must be maintained at all times not only for beautification but more importantly for health and sanitation purposes,” the mayor said.
A female barangay council member affirmed that the community has been grappling with challenges in upholding cleanliness along the highway, particularly near the boundary area.
“We were really requesting for an inspection of the business establishments in our area because while the barangay was always conducting clean-up drive, we often advise the business owners on maintaining cleanliness but they [keep] telling us off, claiming they are covered by the city even if they dump their wastes in the drainage. This is why this side is always filled with trash,” she lamented.
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