Old Baguio market building reassessment ordered

BAGUIO City Mayor Mauricio Domogan on Monday ordered the reevaluation of the old Dimalanta Building at the city market along Magsaysay Avenue to assess its present structural and fire safety conditions.

The mayor directed the Baguio Fire Department and the city building and architecture office (CBAO) to form a team to conduct the inspection as soon as possible.

The mayor said this will also determine the extent of compliance of the tenants to an earlier agreement with the city to adopt remedial measures to make the building compliant with the structural and fire safety requirements despite its decrepit state to ensure the safety of both the stall owners and market goers.

In 2010, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) declared the over 50-year old building as fire hazard due to violations of the National Building Code and fire safety law.

The BFP and the Baguio City Market Authority even recommended the closure of the edifice due to the gravity of the defects found but the city government agreed to allow the tenants to continue operating on condition that they will institute remedial measures to make it safe for the occupants and their clientele.

The mayor said the tenants have assured that they have partially complied with the recommended measures but the city needs to make another assessment to determine the improvements done, the things left undone and what other measures can be introduced to improve the condition of the building.

“Otherwise, we will have to really consider closing the building in the meantime,” the mayor said.

Among the defects noted by the BFP were blocked fire exits, dangling electrical wires and the tenants’ practice of allowing persons to sleep over in offices and cook meals in violation of existing ordinances. (AR)

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