ENGINEER Isidro Sun, head of the Office of the Building Official (OBO) in Bacolod City, on Monday informed the management of the City Mall that they are preparing to revoke its occupancy permit for failure to comply with the undertaking after 30 days.
Sun said the undertaking compliance of the mall already lapsed on Friday.
On November 8, City Mall in Barangay Mandalagan executed an undertaking through project-in-charge Reynaldo Tendero that in one month they will comply with their deficiencies.
These include the provision of persons with disability facilities such as rest rooms; installation of railings at stairs; installation of all plumbing fixtures; and submission of mechanical as-built plan and STP cistern rain water collection tank detail.
Sun said that on December 2, he reminded the mall management that their undertaking will lapse on December 9.
He added that on December 9, he received a letter from Tenedero informing him that all as-built plans of the mall were completed and ready to be submitted to OBO on December 15.
Tenedero also said that the provision of persons with disability facilities or restroom at the ground floor is now ongoing and expected to be completed on December 23.
Sun said the mall management should not have asked for an extension of their compliance on day of the deadline itself.
“If they are asking for an extension, they should have submitted it before the deadline,” he added.
“We are only following what was stated in the undertaking where they promised to comply in 30 days,” Sun further said.
The OBO chief on Monday sent a letter to the management of the City Mall, and also referred the case to a lawyer to determine the number of days required for City Mall’s reply.
Sun said the OBO will review the mall management’s answer why they failed to comply.
If the mall management fails to explain, Sun said he will submit the revocation of the occupancy permit to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
He added that part of the revocation of occupancy permit is a recommendation of closure which will be implemented by the City Legal Office (CLO).
“If we will revoke its occupancy permit, the mall will re-apply again and the city will not refund their expenses in their first application,” Sun pointed out.
He said the City Mall had paid about P700,000 in fees to secure an occupancy permit.