Boarding house permit applications surge after deadly La Paz Fire

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

The recent crackdown on unregistered boarding houses by the city government appears to be effective, following a report by the chief of its business permits office.

On Friday, he revealed that there has been a spike in permit applications since a fire involving five such establishments resulted in two fatalities on February 18.

Norman Tabud, head of the Investment Services, Business Permits and Licensing Division (ISBPLD), told Daily Guardian on Air last Friday that they had received up to 110 boarding house applications by February 22, subsequent to the La Paz district fire.

Daily Guardian also reported on the same day that the city government had shut down about 40 boarding houses for operating without the necessary permits.

This surge in applications was attributed to Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas’ stern warning during his press conference on February 20, stating that unlicensed boarding houses would face closure and permanent disqualification from registering with the ISBPLD.

These boarding house applications are a part of the 719 total applications the division received by February 22, with the Joint Inspection Team (JIT) completing 529 inspections.

The JIT, responsible for inspecting new business applications, is spearheaded by the ISBPLD and includes members from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Iloilo City, the Office of the Building Official (OBO), the City Health Office, and the Office of the City Zoning Administrator. They check for adherence to national and local laws, ordinances, and regulations.

Additional bodies such as the Boarding House Commission and the City Tourism Office may also participate in the inspections, depending on the business type.

Regarding the five boarding houses affected by the fire, only one had complied with permit requirements, two had failed to renew their licenses, and two had no records with the ISBPLD.

“We assume that the three [boarding houses] that were able to obtain a permit also met fire safety regulations, as they were issued permits last year and this year,” Tabud stated in his interview.

Tabud committed to enforcing more rigorous inspection and monitoring procedures and called on local barangays to help ensure compliance with regulations. He emphasized that barangay clearances are essential for new business applications.

“Our barangays are at the front lines of these businesses. Ideally, a business should not be able to operate in a barangay without obtaining a clearance from them. In the case of boarding houses, they must meet the fire and building officials’ requirements, because non-compliance […] poses a risk to occupants,” he explained.

Other requirements for new applications include proof of registration with the relevant national government agency, proof of property usage rights, and an occupancy permit from the OBO, which includes certification from the BFP.