BAGUIO CITY—Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan has ordered city government offices to shutter buildings that continue to convert their parking spaces into mini-markets, saying time was up for them to do so.
Domogan ordered the City Buildings and Architecture Office to withdraw the occupancy permits granted to building owners once their designated parking spaces remain operating as commercial stalls, while the City Permits and Licensing Division was directed to cancel permits issued to establishments occupying designated parking spaces of buildings across Baguio.
“We already discussed the matter with the owners of the buildings at least three times, and we gave them sufficient time to bring back their parking allocations until such time that their lease agreements with their tenants shall have expired,” Domogan stressed.
“We believe that now that it is nearing the end of the year, the building owners shall have complied with the agreement for them to bring back their parking spaces.”
Inadequate parking spaces in the city, the mayor said, is one of Baguio’s major problems, which is why building owners should maximize their parking allocations.
This would keep clients of these building owners from parking their vehicles anywhere else, contributing to traffic around the city, especially in the central business district area, Domogan added.
Making parking available within their structures “will definitely help in lessening the number of illegally parked vehicles on roads and other public places in the city,” he added.
The CBAO had identified building owners that illegally converted their parking spots to commercial spaces and rented the same to other merchants.
Domogan expressed confidence the building owners will soon comply with the agreements “to prevent the eventual closure of their operations, disrupt the businesses within their structures, and guarantee sustained business operations for their own benefit.”