A boarding house and sari-sari store at New Lucban barangay were flagged by a composite team from the city government last Nov. 4 for business permit and Smoke-free Ordinance violations.
City Permits and Licensing Division Chief Allan Abayao said the inspection was conducted based on complaints received by Mayor Benjamin Magalong that the establishment was serving as a haunt for student smokers.
Abayao said the joint inspection with the Public Order and Safety Division, City Health Services Office, Baguio City Police Station 7, Anti-Smoking Team, and New Lucban Punong Barangay John Caluza found the registered owner of the establishment was operating as real estate lessor or boarding house without the necessary permit prompting the Licen-sing Office to issue him a notice of violation.
The sari-sari store, on the other hand, was ordered to stop operation and was issued a notice of violation and citation ticket even if its operation is covered by a license for selling cigarettes by stick and for tolerating students to smoke in the premises.
The team confiscated the store’s cigarette wares.
The composite team led by the City Health Office has been sustaining its monitoring and inspection activities to ensure that boarding houses, dormitories, and other accommodation establishments are complying with the rules on sanitation, structural safety, and health protocols.
Magalong earlier directed the intensified monitoring of these establishments and speeding up of action on concerns involving them.
He tasked the city’s composite team to make inspections a regular activity and to follow through and secure the commitment of owners of accommodation establishments that incurred violations of health and sanitation and building rules to comply with all the requirements and institute the corrective measures.
The city also set up hotlines for students, workers, and other boarders to report unsafe and unsanitary accommodation establishments to.
Complaints may be lodged at the Baguio in My Pocket app or through our permits and licensing office hotline 619-3984, health hotlines 0918-488-0195, 0927-858-7272, 444-9217, or to Facebook age of the Baguio City Health Services Office or email at [email protected] or [email protected]. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
