75% Iloilo City boarding houses flunk safety inspections

Seventy-five percent of student dormitories and apartments in Iloilo City failed safety inspections conducted by the local Boarding House Commission. Last week, the News Today reported that of the 156 boarding houses inspected, some 117 did not have business permits and fire exits. “Erring owners will be given warnings," said commission chairperson Marita Geremias, who added that the BHC will close illegal boarding houses or suspend the permits of those without fire exits and fire extinguishers. Other problems in boarding houses include insufficient water supply, poor ventilation, and improper waste disposal, the report added. The Boarding House Commission grants owners of student houses a permit to operate if the place has at least one fire exit and a fire extinguisher. Geremias was quoted in the report as saying that the commission conducts regular inspections Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Unregistered boarding houses will likewise be inspected. The report said about 280 registered boarding houses in Iloilo City have renewed their permits. —Sophia Dedace/VS, GMANews.TV