KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 02 December) – Eva’s Hotel, one of the tallest structures here destroyed by the series of powerful earthquakes in October, will be demolished immediately after the city government issues the demolition order, the management’s lawyer said Monday.
Kirstin Dela Cruz, an associate of the Ongkingco Locsin and Lim Law Offices, said the hotel owner tapped Kouzbary Builders to demolish the building.
Dela Cruz said the negotiations between the owner and Kouzbary Builders were completed on November 28, and was relayed through a formal letter to the Kidapawan City Demolition and Enforcement Unit (KCDEU).
The letter included the profile of Kouzbary Builders, the lawyer noted.
“The hotel owner and the private contractor are just waiting for a formal order from the KCDEU to proceed with the demolition process,” Dela Cruz said.
On Monday, city engineer Alan Balgos, the KCDEU head, met with the team to discuss the matter.
The KCDEU includes department heads from the City Engineering Office, Office of the Building Official, Planning and Development Division, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Traffic Management Unit and the Kidapawan City police.
The hotel, situated at the heart of the city, was among the many structures in the city destroyed by the series of over Magnitude 6 quakes in October.
Near Eva’s Hotel are private establishments such as the Kidapawan Doctors Hospital, Inc., Chowking, Jollibee, Novo Building and Honda Motor-One, among others.
These establishments were ordered close for business until Eva’s Hotel is fully demolished.
Two days after the hotel almost collapsed on October 31, the city government issued an order to the management to effect the demolition immediately.
Mayor Joseph Evangelista earlier said the city government gave the hotel management enough time to enter a contract with a private demolition firm.
Earlier, the city government granted the seven-day extension the management requested. The extension ended on November 15. The second extension, this time for 15 days, was granted on November 18.
The 15-day extension will end on December 3.
