Weygan: Stalls for money

BEFORE the All Saints' Day celebration, my attention was called because there were temporary structures built in our property within the central business district area. A manang from the UB Science High called me, just back home from the 60th Birthday celebration of our high school batch mate. She was alarmed with the structures resembling stalls, sprouting along the road right of way.

I called a member of our Board and a technical person to meet me at the area. Arriving at the scene, no one was constructing but, true enough there was these temporary structures looking like a bunkhouse stalls. And when I asked people around the area, they all pointed out to the barangay officials giving the permission to construct and use. We took a jeep and went to the barangay hall, talking with the Barangay Captain and the kagawad; they took it upon themselves to allow the stalls without any permit or license issued. We had a compromise to allow them to have the flower sellers stay until the 31st of October for the All Saints Day celebration. Accordingly they are collecting money per day on the use of the area. How can such lawlessness exist? And how can these activities are led by the barangay officials? And not only that, they even squat in vacant lots within their barangay.

Baguio continue its reputation as a palengke city. It does not have an effective zoning ordinance, as some of those who are part of a committee approving exemptions from the ordinance are also the very people expected to implement zoning in the city.” Sinasadot” or even dereliction of duty; or maybe even plain corruption because rumors of grease money given when there is violation of the zoning; or maybe just pay the minimal penalty and here we have a structure for selling this and that anywhere and everywhere. The stalls built without permits were removed last October 31 as promised by the Barangay Captain. So whenever you see those stalls, they signify money for someone, not necessary the city or government but could be those in government service. The audacity to violate the laws when they care called to implement them, is beyond my understanding. Go to every barangay there are sari-sari stores or even eateries that do not have any business permit for they are still “in process” even when the year is already ending.

And not only that, Baguio has also become a squatters haven where we have organized illegal settlers; vendors, peddlers and business person settling in any vacant space because the business permit allows only residents of the city to have business in the city; or we have students organizing themselves and calling themselves the urban poor. And these urban poor many years later our professionals- doctors, engineers and maybe even city officials in these present days. For many years the people waited and finally some of the ugly structures at the old BIBAK dorm site were demolished. Still the city suffocates from all these illegal structures built without business permit, building permit, zoning permit and other permits. More often I hear these old Baguio folks say “No ammo mi lang nga squatting da daguita banbantay (Quirino Hill, San Carlos etc.) ket napan kami met kuma nagpatakder idi, ngem anya ngay law abiding citizen kami met. Unfortunately, it still remains that people are bold to build illegal structures because there is a lack in the implementation of the law.

And in this city, stalls are erected, rented out and money collected goes to someone’s pocket and not necessarily the government or the owner if it is a private property. Stalls are built without building permit, rented our without business permit, sanitary permit but they can even be an eatery or a talipapa. For why is it that greed and lawlessness prevail despite being a Christian country, or is it because of being inspired by the criminal mind of the Filipino.