BFP-8 exec: Mayor permits issued to some Tacloban establishments despite lack of building requirements

TACLOBAN CITY – A top official of the Bureau of Fire Protection in this city revealed that there are business establishments operating in the city that did not complied building requirements but were still able to operate as the city government has issued a mayor’s business permit to them.

City Fire Marshall Fire Chief Inspector Adel De Paz Bautista revealed that two business establishments, whose identity were withheld, had been operating despite the lack of issuance of occupancy permit from the fire department.

“This business establishment that had been operating for some years now have not yet been issued with an occupancy permit due to some problems with their building construction,” said Bautista.

“Although, as far as fire safety is concern, it is our duty to issue occupancy permit but the issuance of mayor’s business permit is not our concern and since they were not able to comply with the provisions of our fire code, we did not issue any occupancy permit to them,” Bautista stressed.

However, Bautista clarified that he do not want to put any blame to the department concerned in the city government as why they were able to issue mayor’s business permits to these business establishments even though the business operators were not able to comply with all the requirements needed.

“I do not want to blame anyone but as far as our part is concerned, we had already done our job,” Bautista stressed.

Bautista added that he cannot categorically say that a business establishment operates illegally if they do not have clearance from the fire department.

As part of their efforts to enforce the fire code in the city, Bautista said that they had asked the management of the two establishments to talk with them and discuss on how they can comply with the requirements needed for them to pass the inspection being conducted for the issuance of occupancy permit.

He added that the management of the business establishments have even gone to their central office just to apply for exemption but they were referred back to their office.

“They really need to comply with the requirements because if we will look at their structures, it really hazardous for the people who are going to the said establishment,” Bautista stressed, adding that it is also unfair for other establishments who are complying with the requirement set by law.

In the part of the city licensing office, the top official of the said department said that they had already sent a notice to the business establishments concerned to comply with the requirement needed in the application for their mayor’s business permit. (Roel Amazona)