At least 10 pensions and boarding houses in Bacolod City have been recommended for closure by the City Permits and Licensing Division due to a lack of permits. Permits and Licensing Division Head Stela Rose Rayos said the recommendations have since been forwarded to the City Legal Office and they have already issued two notices to the involved establishments informing them to secure permits.
She noted, around 150 boarding houses, dormitories, hotels, and other lodging establishments have been inspected by the city government this year and a second notice is set to go out to 77 establishments.
Rayos also affirmed the MO2 Westown Hotel-San Juan has reopened after management secured the necessary permits and paid the penalties they incurred.
The Rainbow Pension House and Bacolod Pension Plaza, meanwhile, remain padlocked as they are still in the process of securing business permits.
Earlier, the City Legal Office shuttered the Bacolod Pension Plaza, Rainbow Pension House, and MO2 Westown Hotel-San Juan for violations of a provision in City Ordinance No. 565 of 2011, which requires them to secure a Mayor’s Permit and pay the necessary fees before they are permitted to operate.
Rayos stated, the recent closures are not connected to Java Pension House fire, which took place last month killing six people. It was later found that the Java Pension House lacked the necessary permits to operate.
The city official also advised establishment owners in the city to secure business permits to avoid future inconvenience./DGB, WDJ