‘Most boarding houses inspected had violations’

Most of the boarding houses inspected last Aug. 11 incurred violations on safety and sanitation standards.
This was the finding of the composite team from the city government, which conducted joint monitoring operations on 15 boarding houses with business permits located in barangays New Lucban, T. Alonzo, and ABCR.
The team led by the City Health Services Office (CHSO) under Dr. Rowena Galpo represented by the Sanitation Division under Engr. Charles Bryan Carame said the City Buildings and Architecture Office noted insufficient width of hallways and obstructed hallway or entrance or exit or stairs, situated within waterway easement, dilapidated materials, no installed railings, no installed grease trap or non-operational sanitary and plumbing fixtures, dilapidated roof gutter, with source of leaks, improper drainage system, unsanitary condition, no installed CCTV and emergency light, non-functional electrical fixtures, dangling electrical wires, busted lightings fixtures, unsafe electrical wirings, and visible cracks on beams and columns.
The Bureau of Fire Department said only one dormitory had no Fire Security Inspection Certificate and all of the inspected areas complied with their checklist of requirements.
Several boarding houses were noted to have partially obstructed pathways and fire exits while others had limited or zero signage and had been directed to correct their deficiencies.
The CHSO observed most of the boarding houses lacked solid waste management or separate trash bins for biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes while some buildings needed repairs and general cleaning and regular vermin control.
The office also noted kitchen and dining areas in some of them had limited spaces.
The City Planning and Development Office observed most of the dormitories and boarding houses do not have parking areas for tenants and their fire alarms were not working.
One dormitory was discovered to have not renewed its business permit and was immediately issued a notice of violation by the Permits and Licensing Division (PLD).
The PLD said one common violation was the non-display of their permit as required by the city of business establishments. 
The office reitera-ted the need to comply with minimum public health protocols on signages, thermal scanner, isolation area, and regular disinfection.
As agreed on by the task force members, the inspection will be made a regular activity and every office will submit to the office of Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda any proposed amendment on Ordinance 3, s. 2017.
The team was composed of the Public Order and Safety Division, Smoke-Free Unit, Sanitation Division, Population Division of the CHSO, CPLD, CBAO, City Environment and Parks Office, CPDO, and BFP. – Aileen P. Refuerzo