BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – The crackdown on boardinghouses operating illegally in this city continues.
Personnel from the Investment Services, Business Permits and Licensing Division, and the Boarding House Commission (BHC) served 25 additional closure orders yesterday to unregistered boardinghouses in the barangays of Tabuc Suba, Balantang, Buntatala, and Tagbac in the Jaro district, as well as in San Nicolas and Ledesco Village in La Paz district.
This brings the total to about 77 boardinghouses that have been ordered to cease operations due to potential safety hazards and for operating without business permits.
Mayor Jerry Treñas has given the boardinghouse owners 10 days to secure business permits; otherwise, their boarders will be displaced.
Treñas had earlier ordered the closure of boarding houses operating without permits to prevent incidents similar to the recent ones from happening again.
The city government has intensified efforts to address the issue of unregistered boardinghouses and apartments proliferating in the metropolis, especially following a deadly fire that claimed two lives in Barangay San Nicolas, La Paz, on February 18.
Treñas said personnel from the Office of the Building Officials (OBO), Local Economic Development and Investment Promotions (LEDIP), and the BHC continue to conduct inspections of boarding houses to identify unregistered structures, ensuring they comply with local regulations and are safe for occupancy.
According to BHC records in 2023, there are 2,713 boarding houses spread across the city’s seven districts. So far, the commission has inspected more than 200 boarding houses.
On Monday, February 26, Treñas assured boarders of financial assistance from the city government. The city is still in the process of establishing criteria for the basis of this financial aid.
The mayor also issued a memorandum circular requiring all barangay captains to submit a master list of boardinghouses within their jurisdiction.
“Your cooperation is crucial in maintaining safety standards and proper regulation,” said Treñas.
Additionally, the city mayor ordered the City Legal Office to review the ordinance on the BHC regarding the composition of its personnel.
Regulation Ordinance No. 00-01, known as the Ordinance Regulating the Operation of Boarding Houses in the City, prohibits boarding houses from operating without permits.
Section 2 of the ordinance states, “No person shall own, keep, maintain, operate, or conduct any house or place for the accommodation of boarders or bed spacers for compensation or rent without first having obtained a mayor’s permit, sanitary, fire safety inspection permit, and paying the required fees.”/PN
