THE Cebu City Office of the Building Official (OBO) has ordered Cebu Normal University (CNU) to vacate its eight-storey College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) building after inspectors found visible structural damage.
The OBO also confirmed that the university had exceeded its approved building height and failed to secure an occupancy permit.
In a letter addressed to CNU President Daniel Ariaso dated Oct. 7, 2025, City Building Official Architect Florante Catalan said an ocular inspection conducted revealed “spalling of concrete on the slab and beam of the bridge connecting the Teacher and Arts Centrum (TAC) building and the Arts and Sciences Academic Building (Asab).”
Inspectors also found “visible damage such as chipping and cracks” on the library building’s concrete gutter and on the façade of the CAS Building.
“These conditions are consistent with possible differential foundation settlement affecting one or both structures and warrant further geotechnical and structural evaluation,” Catalan wrote.
The inspection team discovered that the CAS building’s approved permit allowed construction of only six storeys. However, the actual structure was found to have eight storeys and a roof deck.
Moreover, the OBO said no occupancy permit had been issued for the building, which was already in use by the university. Because of this, a notice of violation was served to CNU by OBO inspectors Rozien Rivera, Larry Morta and Lawrence Jotjot, head of the Safety and Investigation Division.
The notice was received by Christian Alvin Arquillos, an administrative officer of CNU.
The inspection was prompted by reports of tilting between the CAS and Library buildings following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu on Sept. 30.
The inspection team noted that the observed damage could be a result of “possible differential settlement” movement or sinking of the ground beneath the structures which may have been aggravated by the quake.
The OBO report recommended prohibiting the use of both the CAS and library buildings until they are declared safe by qualified professionals.
The report also called for the immediate endorsement of its findings to the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office for appropriate action. It urged the prompt rectification of the damaged façade, gutter, and bridge components to prevent further deterioration and poten-
tial hazards.
Additionally, the report recommended conducting a comprehensive structural and geotechnical assessment by CNU engineers in coordination with licensed structural consultants.
Lastly, it emphasized the need to secure amendatory building and occupancy permits from the OBO.
Catalan advised the CNU administration to keep the CAS building unoccupied until “the necessary repair, rehabilitation, and/or retrofitting works have been duly completed” and all required permits obtained.
He reminded the university to comply with the National Building Code of the Philippines, which mandates that all occupied buildings must have valid permits and must not deviate from their approved construction plans. / CAV