UP TO 100 developers of commercial and residential projects, mostly small and local companies, may face penalties and sanctions for violations on the zoning and building code, according to City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) head Ivan Chin Cortez. “The challenge now is… we observed that there are a lot of (small) developers who proceeded with the constructions without securing the permits first and violated the building code and the city zoning… The big players always comply,” Mr. Cortez said in an interview with the media. He said that they are now preparing for the filing of charges against these developers. The CPDO has been deploying teams to monitor construction activities around the city with the use of GIS tagging, which alerts them on projects that have no permit. “‘Pag hindi nag-apply babalikan namin ‘yan at bibigyan namin ng (If there is no permit application, we go back to the site and we issue) notice of violations… If they continue with the construction, that is the time we will file the case,” he said. Aside from the building permit issued by the local government, developers are also required to secure a Preliminary Approval for Locational Clearance (PALC) from the city council and a license from the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) for pre-selling campaigns. — Maya M. Padillo

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