Tuesday, August 07, 2007 Editorials: Controversial school building
CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña did sound furious over the reported violations of the building code in the construction and partial occupancy of the Asian College of Technology (ACT) building at the corner of P. del Rosario and Leon Kilat Sts.
ACT opened classes there in June even if construction of the 12-story building is still in progress and obviously without an occupancy permit.
The building does not also have elevators as required for high-rise structures.
The mayor’s anger, however, could be genuine or merely meant to make the public believe he is not playing favorites in the implementation of rules.
ACT is owned by Cebu City Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa, a card carrying member of the mayor’s own party, Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan.
Ordinance
Violations of the building code are not the only concerns in viewing the operation of the ACT campus in the city’s downtown area.
An ordinance had to be amended that eventually allowed the construction in such a busy intersection of the ACT campus, whose original location is Bulacao in Talisay City.
The intention of the ordinance was to decongest that portion of the city; as a result, big and crowded universities in the surrounding areas expanded elsewhere.
Traffic issues
Note that traffic congestion was the main reason used by City Hall in recommending for the transfer of the Cebu South Bus Terminal outside the city.
Nobody is buying that reasoning, of course, considering that the terminal is owned by the Province and Osmeña’s relation with Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia has soured.
But granting that City Hall is really concerned about the traffic situation in the area, this was contradicted by its approval of the construction of the ACT campus, which is located just a few meters away from the south bus terminal.
Empty anger
Ownership apparently determined City Hall’s attitude concerning the two facilities, which means that the mayor’s “anger” over ACT’s violations is empty.
Abellanosa can eventually correct whatever violation was committed and get an occupancy permit even if work is still being done on other parts of the building.
What is doubtful is whether City Hall can fully solve the problems, especially those related to traffic, that the addition of the ACT campus will bring to the area.
