BACOLOD City – Several tenants in two major shopping malls here are currently unable to obtain business permits due to unresolved inspection certifications.
The Office of the Building Official (OBO) has identified a compliance issue where these malls have not secured necessary certificates from annual inspections, which has led to pending permit applications for many businesses within the establishments.
Engineer Isidro Sun, the head of the OBO, reported that the complication stems from the malls’ failure to acquire occupancy permits, which are essential for the issuance of business permits to their tenants.
“The city cannot issue business permits as the malls have not provided the required occupancy permits,” Sun explained.
One of the malls has completed its renovation, while the other is still in the process of securing a renovation permit, further delaying compliance.
Due to these infractions, the OBO has issued the first notice of violation to both malls.
A second notice, which will include a fine, is scheduled to be served next week.
The amount of the fine will be calculated based on the building plans associated with the renovation projects, Sun added./PN