BY: VANESSA BUGTONG

A road that has served residents of BadiHoy Street in Barangay Guisad Surong, Baguio City for over five decades was abruptly fenced off on April 18, sparking complaints from the community.

Former barangay captain Orlando Soriano, who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, said the road closure has made it harder for him to access medical care.

“We feel isolated,” Soriano said. “What happens to us if no one helps? We’re constituents too, we pay taxes. We hope someone listens.”

The fence, he claimed, was put up by the new owner of the lot adjacent to the road.

Although Soriano can still walk, he said it now takes nearly two kilometers before he can reach public transportation—too far for someone in his condition.

He stressed that the road was cemented using government funds. “This was developed using the barangay’s development fund—meaning public money.”

In response to the residents’ appeal, barangay officials investigated and found discrepancies in the documents presented by the landowner to the barangay and the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO).

“We’re currently reviewing the documents so we can submit a motion to CBAO,” said Barangay Captain Philip Cosalan. “We don’t want to escalate things unnecessarily.”

One of the main issues, according to Cosalan, is the absence of a Memorandum of Agreement between the landowner and the barangay, which would have formalized the terms of access.

“We agreed that the property wouldn’t be altered,” Cosalan said. “But now, there’s no signed MOA to prove that agreement.”

A barangay certification is one of the required documents for securing a fencing permit from CBAO.

“The CBAO requires a certificate from the barangay to process any fencing permit,” Cosalan explained.

The news team attempted to get a statement from the City Buildings and Architecture Office, but they declined to comment for now.