Mindanaotoday.com | Plans to decongest Oro city hall in the pipeline
By: Franck Dick Rosete
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – As part of its objective to bring the government closer to the people, the local government of Cagayan de Oro has presented its plan to decongest city hall and provide a more convenient public service to the Kagay-anons.
One of the plans is to establish satellite offices in the different barangays to accommodate clients who live far from the city hall, said Glenn Bañez, one of the consultants from the City Mayor’s Office (CMO), in a media forum on Thursday, February 9.
Among the barangays that have been initially contained in the choices include Puerto, Lapasan, Kauswagan, Bulua and including the Cogon area here.
The satellite offices can accommodate the tax payers and other transactions that involve payments.
“Nakita ni Mayor [Rolando Uy] nga luoy kaayo tong mga naa didto sa layo kay muanhi pa sila sa (The Mayor saw that those who are far from the city hall are pitiful because they still need to come to the) city hall just to pay their taxes,” Bañez said.
Apart from establishing satellite offices, the LGU is also planning to use the ‘delivery’ method for those establishments or people who want to get documents from the city hall; such as cedula, mayor’s permit, business permits among others.
“You don’t need to go to the city hall anymore. You pay online and we will deliver it to your house,” Bañez added.
The LGU still needs to write a letter to the Commission on Audit and the Bureau of Local Government Finance pertaining to the said plan as the LGU, Bañez said, needs an authority from the monetary bank to allow commercial banks to accept payments.
Streamlining the building permits issuance
Apart from decongesting city hall, the local government also wanted to give resolution to the existing problem on the issuance of building permits, as it would take three to four months, or up to six months, Bañez said.
Under the LGU’s plan, through a proposed ordinance, is to hasten the issuance of building permits based on the category.
The categories are Simple (garage or low-cost housing), Complex (two to three-story building) and Highly Technical (five floors up).
Bañez said the applicants only need to submit the top documents and the building permit will be released within three working days under the simple category; seven working days for complex category and 15 working days for highly technical category.
Among the top documents include the barangay clearance and locational clearance from the city planning; title or any documents prove ownership of land or lease contract; real property tax clearance on land, building and machinery; ancillary permit/documents and payment of fees, taxes, and other charges.
However, apart from submitting the said documents, applicants must also sign a notarized affidavit of undertaking in order to submit the remaining requirements within 30 working days from the released date of the building permit.
Bañez said the public hearing for the said proposed ordinance is currently ongoing and they were currently working on the said plans in order to possibly implement them within this year. (MT)
###