TACLOBAN CITY- The Office of the Building Official on Structural Evaluation (OBOSE) of the Tacloban City Engineering’s Office has approved around 200 building permit applications within the first nine months after supertyphoon Yolanda. Among the 280 processed requests, only around 200 applicants were approved for the request of building permits checked by OBOSE. Engr. Mario Magellan Tezon, head of OBOSE’s structural evaluation section, said that the approved requests building occupancy complied the National Building Code.
“We are implementing the National Building Code not to disapprove but to regulate. Meaning, if something will not fit in to the design, we recommend them have a new and clear plans for the design of the building,” Tezon said.
Tezon said that plans for the building should be professionally made and should be properly presented, incorporating climate change resilient designs. He added that they have to order for stoppage of building construction if they find that modified design does not conform the approved plan. “If something is not in accordance to the plan, we have to stop the construction and then we require them to submit additional application and plans that they have made along the construction of the building like for example in floor design and in all aspect in construction,” Tezon said.
On the other hand, if there is huge deviation like social integrity, the office of the structural evaluation requires the department to submit a table documents that they are to follow in accordance to plan for the construction of building. (JELLY E. CARAAN, LNU Intern)
