I’m going to assume there are none, and with that I have no problem. But it just doesn’t seem to matter to anyone, The rich guy builds the nice place with all the Pinoy Gingerbread decorations and the house next door is an unpainted square hollow block home yet they are neighbors who still get along without the need for the dreaded Home Owners Association (HOA) those who make up rules for the sake of having rules.
In Largo Florida my neighbor owned the chain link fence dividing our property it was not in the best condition. I asked if he wanted to split the cost of a new 8 foot redwood privacy fence, of course he didn’t. So I had it installed on my property abutting the chain link fence. And since it was my dime I put the smooth finished side facing my house and the frame side facing his. Of course he took me to the zoning board who found no rule that said I couldn’t do it that way. So he then took me to small claims court where I told the judge that I offered to split the cost with him and would give permission in writing so that he could plank the rough side of the fence on his side. The judge ruled for me and explained to my neighbor that he was a dick, using legal terms..
But here in the RP I never encountered things like that, well the one guy who wanted to use my hollow block fence as one wall of his house to save money. But the Barangay told him to stop because of the fire codes. (It was too close to my house, I hoped he didn’t plan on a window?).) My neighbor on the other side wanted to butt his wall to mine so there would be no gap I of course said yes and the Barangay had to fill out the proper papers stating that the original wall belonged to Mr. Thompson; in case he sold the land and the next guy thought it was his wall.
But this is not what I would call zoning, it’s more like common sense. No arguments or ill will using the Barangay way.
But here is where my knowledge is lacking and maybe someone else can explain to me about rebar. The house and wall are finished weather it’s a big fine house or a simple concrete Nipa House. Why are the odd ends of the rebar left in place and protruding? Could it be a future plan of going higher? Or could it just be a design element in the Pinoy Architectural Digest that I never got the memo on.. If you can enlighten me please jump in.
In the year 2000 we had already been living in the house for over six months, I was fresh off my ship and was settling in. While having a cocktail with friends it appeared that I must have got the memo for in every 10 foot section of the wall, there were four to five protruding pieces of rebar looking like waiting flag poles ready to receive pennants from every team in both the National and American league (And a few of the minors).
The rum was flowing, but I stopped and asked my Darling wife Mayang if we had a rebar removing “Guy”? Of course we did and he and two assistants showed up within 15 minutes with homemade hacksaws (Ironically made of rebar.) and they commenced giving my property a haircut. It took the rest of that day (Well they did join us for cocktails) and they finished the next day.
Here the funny part, the 2 Pinoy and the 3 Kano sharing cocktails together with me plus the three Rebar Guy’s all said; “I never thought of that!” I’ll admit that three out of the five guests then had it done at their houses, who were they? the two Pinoy’s and one Kano. You can’t change everybody.
One more inconsequential observation; when you slap together that car port, out of any odd sized piece of lumber lying around. Using the old rusted but painted corrugated tin, please when finished, take the extra 20 minutes and trim the roof trusses to a uniform size. The slapped together table and stools you’re drinking at, never have to conform to the same rule of trimming or be level for that matter.
So how about those Philippine Zoning Laws, do you know what they are?
We have had rebar sticking out of the top and sides of our house for about four years. The house is not finished yet, but we live in it; we seem to add some new addition every year, and it is nice to have rebar already in place. We do plan to have the excess rebar cut off when we are sure it is no longer needed. And, we did completely paint our house.
Mike;
That answers the burning question, it is left for future additions, maybe I was a tad hasty when I had mine removed 15 years ago as I still don’t know what the future might bring. (lol) My neighbor has had a small pile of gravel left from when his house was built; I wonder if he has a plan? (LOL)
Hi Paul
Zoning laws do exist. They have only been partly enforced but every so often they can bite you. In our area no more structures are allowed close to beaches and land is zoned for residential industrial or agricultural use. Building permits are needed and water and electric wont be connected unless you have all the building inspections paperwork..Its getting tougher after Yolanda.
Corjo;
I think you are mixing building codes with zoning laws. They are not the same.
Zoning is more to you can’t build a roller coaster next to a residential structure. The permits are that you conform to local and or national building codes that tell you how to build whereas Zoning tells you what and where you can build.
After a disaster of that magnitude anyone rebuilding a house is must insure it is structurally up to code and in compliance with building laws that should be mandatory..
But a poor guy can build next to the rich guy because of a no zoning. And not be told his house does not meet community standards.
Example in Puerto Rico you cannot build any structure that will cast a shadow on a beach as the people of Puerto Rico own all beaches, but the erection of the building is covered by building codes.
My house is different from my neighbors in size and design. But it was built to code. I don’t think about zoning as they were there first, That is because I’m not the stupid guy that built next to a busy highway and then complained to the city about the traffic noise.
Have here, but never enforced, that includes building codes.
Reed Reed’z Anderson;
Maybe the rules are just “Not in Stock” and that caused the lack of enforcement. Rules are selective, I stopped at a stop sign Saturday, it was a four lane. So after waiting our turn the Adventure beside me and I both proceeded through the intersection. I was waved over and informed that both of us cannot proceed at the same time I wondered if that rule the traffic warden just made up also applies to stop lights too. I just look4ed at him and said; “Really I didn’t know that!” he waved me on. Rules do not follow any particular set of rules..
I wonder if they leave the rebar protruding so they can add razor wire? That was a common security feature on the walls in subdivision where I lived before.
Kevin Sanders;
Ah…Razor wire could I think of a nicer way to tell my neighbors; “I don’t trust you.” As you can tell by my pictures I’ve never had it, and an old blanket will get you over it anyway, a waste of money and time.
Paul, many years ago (2002-3) building our first house here, with my then live-in, we talked about the “gate” (that’s Pinoy for “perimeter wall) and security in general. I offhand quipped that we could just top it with broken glass – and she instantly replied “GOOD IDEA” and proceeded to do just that – and that was in a gated subdivision in the greater Manila area (vrs. where I am now). Have to wonder who has that house now, it was really nice, I put everything into it, but alas.
As for “razor-wire”, let me step out back of this rental here in Mindanao – yup, that’s what the neighbours have. They must have anticipated years ago that I would have kids and marry my (now) wife and move in here for a while.
All that is really funny, since if you go up into the mountains, NO ONE has any such around their home. Much could be said about “security” there, but as someone might mention regarding this forum, this isn’t the place for discussion of rural security. I’ll just mention that a proper balance and immense application of common sense is best – so far.
ED
Nothing says I love my neighbor like Concertina wire strung around your wall, or broken glass imbedded in the top, hey or both. But with a thick blanket I (Years ado not now) could be over that wall and drinking your beer like a flash. I’ve found that my 14 member dog Army is a wonderful determent to uninvited guests. BTW if any family members escorts you in the dog army will welcome you after smelling you ass (It’s a dog thing)
“Philippine Zoning Laws” seem to vary depending on location (often down to the specific lot), plus of course who you know and ultimately how much money you want to throw at any given situation. The Pinoy Way!
ED;
You might have just solved the question!
Hi Paul, that rebar question got me i asked a Filipino guy a while back in the province ,
He told me some times they just leave it for future plans he worked in the Middle East
So every time he was home he would spend more money on his house to make it bigger
Getting it ready for his elderly parents to move in, about zoning well depends on were
You live , it’s more fun in the Philippines Paul, Derek in pasig.
Derek
It must be an area thing, Dinalupihan Bataan has no idea what zoning is. As for rebar, they can tell me anything they want but ten years later it is so rusted you must replace it anyway. (lol)
Hehehe, you covered all the bases at first construction! You prudently ensured the extra protruding rebar is already there should you need it in a reasonable time to build the next floor of your home, and if not it just rusts away at no additional cost to you. 🙂 In the interim it’s a place to string your extra Christmas lights for 11 months each year. Very astute planning on your part and your neighbours respect you all the more because you obviously must have Big Money for your pre-planned extension … someday.
P.S. Even better if you have slightly heavier gauge rebar protruding from your ground floor to prepare for those additional future stories, and that also buys you an extra decade should you need to delay a bit longer, in case you prefer to defer it until it’s your 100th birthday present to yourself. Good thinking!
ED;
I didn’t plan ahead at all when I removed all that rebar, and now 16 years later with it all gone I no longer have the option to renovate my house, I’m stuck in a time warp because of my hasty action and of course that demon rum.
Paul, I had intended that when you read my tongue-in-cheek posting you’re chuckle and open an SMB.
ED;
I’d be opening that same SMB if the posting was so sad it made me cry. (lol)
Of course there are zoning laws.
And there are stop signs.
And there are traffic lights.
And there are no left turn signs.
And life just goes on despite all of that interference.
John Larry Edwards;
While paying my water bill today I searched city hall for the zoning office, and even the vice mayor laughed as he said; “What’s that?” So I’ll assume that that is where the zoning rules are kept. As to the traffic signs I’ll defer to your knowledge and BTW there are left turn signs and arrows on the traffic lights, so that I will not defer to you on that..
No (s) on Edward. Everyone is trying to hang that extra (s) on the end of my name. How ’bout this: Edward$. I don’t really care but when a company I was working for issued plane tickets for some John L. Edwards and T.S.A. saw that it didn’t match my passport their nickers got Iin a really serious twist. Supervisors were called in. Interpreters were summoned. From then on I was flagged with the dreaded CCC ticket requiring SEVERE SCRUTINY for poor abused little me, for YEARS. Just because some secretary used her own internal mental spell check to correct what was an obvious spelling error. She made it right.
My father’s name was name was John Edvard Larsson.
He immigrated from Sweden in 1924 when he was 19.
He was eager to assimilate to his new home the U.S. of A.
He changed name to John Lars Edward. And Iit was good.
Or so he thought. But he was an anomaly. All of the Edward surnames had a little (s) hangin’ off the back end.
And he didn’t. I once even saw an old signature of his and even he for a time bent to convention. That didn’tlast long though. We are proud of our s-less surname.
There of course was that presidential candidate from South Carolina who proudly displayed his ess on the back end of his Edward surname. But he displayed a few other things that alienated his voters and he dropped quietly out of sight.
Then there was that
Jade, your point is well taken.
Some well-meaning immigration official “anglicized” my father’s name on his landing as a refugee and WW2 freedom-fighter. It’s not right, but now I must carry it forward. I still know my heritage. Much more I should write on this topic but this isn’t the place.
ED;
Call me anything but late for last call,
Jade;
I admit it I made the mistake and so I’ll apologize again (As if I remember I’ve done it before) Oh and just one more Mea Culpa in advance because I’ll wager I might do it again. (lol)
Part 2:
(I think I overloaded the comment box with to many esses and I didn’t want them in the first place.)
continued:
Then there was that other guy who would talk to dead people on cable TV. He called himself John Edward with no ess hangin’ off the back end. Ahh a kindred spirit and he even talks to dead people on cable TV. I’m really feeling warm and fuzzy now.
I have even thought of changing my name to it’s original Swedish version John Edvard Larsson to put an end to all of this correctness. But I can’t. I am married to Daisy and that would cause her untold legal problems.
Best Regards,
Jade (John And Daisy Edward)
Jade;
While in the Navy I found that my sir name could be spelled in many ways Mine is THOMPSON, others are Tompson, Thomson or Tomson and a few so far out I can’t remember. As it was all depending on the military clerk filling out the form. I’d point to my name stenciled on my uniform and say: “This is the way it was spelled when my grandfather got on the boat to leave Ireland, out of respect lets not change it.” Then I’d go to the base club and joke about it.(lol)
There are “NO LEFT TURN” signs
OR
There are no “LEFT TURN” signs
I meant the former rather than the latter.
Now that we have that straightened out.
They’ll be ignored anyway.
My previous remarks were thru Facebook thus the name confusion.
Now im talking to you thru bob’s site.
I finished my interrupted reply to you and STUPID WORDPRESS SAID I ALREADY SAID THAT and dumped a good shovel full of my excellent prose.
So I’ll repeat it HEAR THAT WORDPRESS…
The other John Edward talks to dead people on cable TV.
He doesn’t hang any extra esses off the back end of his Edward. He is my kindred spirit and gets paid to be on TV and talk to dead people. I feel so lucky.
I’m gonna change my name back to its original version of John Edvard Larsson.
Oh wait I can’t I’m married to Daisy Atienza Edward.
And doing that would really screw her up and ruin her day.
Best Regards,
Jade
aka “John And Daisy Edward”
Ok stupid WORDPRESS BEHAVE.
By the way Paul, good luck with your rebars.
Jade;
The rebar’s have been history for longer than I owned my New Old Honda. and that was a long time.
John Edward;
Yesterday (Monday) word press was acting a fool with me too. But I won, I shut down the puter, went outside and quaffed a SMB or maybe twp. But I spoke with no dead people.(lol)
Me too!
Cheers!
Jade;
In all the years I’ve been using Word Press, Bob still has to add the photo’s to my articles. That is how well me and Word Press get along.
if you applied for a bldg permit do you have to pay for the zooning fee per application?
Hi Paul,
Great article. I’d like to ask you exactly what documents needed filling out at the barangay regarding building a wall up against mine. I already have a perimeter wall around my lot which is directly on my property lines. I’m sure a neighbor is going to build a firewall up against my perimeter wall so I’d like to know what paperwork needs to be filled out when that happens (just in case he sells later on) like you said.
Alex;
It is just a memo on Barangay letterhead (With carbon paper) it is not a specific form at all. Signed by the Kaptain and witnessed by a lot of people hanging around the hall. It cost my neighbor PHP 100.00 for notary and filing fees. Simple and painless.
Yea awesome I need to get that done when the guy next to me starts to build his house. Thanks for the info Paul much appreciated
Alex, often I post way too much.
Yes, if you have a minor issue with a neighbour, you and they attend at the barangay office, agree, have them type it up, everybody signs, donate 100 or whatever you can afford, go home. That’s apparently sufficient for most purposes you don’t need to take to a bank, at least sufficient to likely preclude future dispute short of someone wanting to throw away mega money in pursuit of foolishness.
Several times have I, cognizant of the needed agreement, drafted it myself and just brought 4 copies, my wife (the usual problem) and the other party to sign and shake hands.
Ed;
What Alex is talking about is a Barangay letter giving permission to his neighbor to abut Alex’s wall with his new wall. To protect Alex from future claims on his wall.
Alex;
As Mindanao Bob would say: “We at LiP are glad to held!”
Alex you know I meant HELP!!!!!
Alex, it’s no stretch of the imagination to realize that there are as many various and wildly disparate sets of barangay regulations (or none) as there are barangays in the Philippines, which is a *lot* of barangays. Compound that by the fact that barangay officials do periodically change and thus what one might expect on any given day may be quite different again.
Don’t get me wrong, I get along very well with barangay people and officials, especially where I live now, and am quite comfortable taking any need to them any time no matter what it might be. They treat me very well, I respect them for that, and we get along just fine. More than a few times they see me at the grocery or somewhere and greet me to chat and ask how things are, and remind me that “any time” ask for help if needed, or just drop by. Of course, I should mention that I typically don’t speak English with them, even should they try though I respect their effort and they respect mine. Just really good people, they may live a few blocks away but they’re my *neighbours* and we’re all part of _our_ community..
All that noted, unless it’s a way-too-visible structure like a multi-tower 50 floor condo complex, a mega-mall, or a major private hospital, when it comes to a small extension to one’s house or building a nipa hut up in the “area”, just do it, and if anyone cares then simply ask forgiveness which is typically just fine and way more prudent than opening an unnecessary can of worms by asking “permission”.
YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary) if you’re building a skyscraper in Makati, in which case your overpaid staff engineer should take care of whatever.
In short, the last 20 times I laid any cement, the only question I asked anywhere was “will you deliver this morning?|”.
ED;
Here’s what I think, your original permits are issued for the lifetime of your house and allow you to change modify or add as long as you kept the permits from long ago. Like that receipt for your drivers license that you must have with you along with the license itself. It’s just my theory………….
Paul, you may be right in _some_ locales. As I mentioned, ones mileage may vary. We built a house in a subdivision in Cavite in 2003 where the developer went through the appropriate permit hoops. Then, even before completion, the engineer advised that we needed a new permit for a minor extension, so we complied. In succeeding years, we didn’t bother when we wanted to extend on the property and no one bothered us about it. So – I don’t know, but that’s my experience in Luzon.
Here in North Cotabato, up in the boondocks, permit? Everybody knows we started to build a house, anyone can look across the street from the barangay hall. During ongoing construction it’s alternatively occupied at night by soldiers and I’m told that on other nights by the ‘opposition’, depending on what night, since it’s not exactly ready for us as a family to move in yet. We keep quiet about them taking care of their needs and fortunately they choose not to fight with us caught in the middle. I suppose all that serves as a “permit”. I didn’t see any “permit” posted either on the ‘big house’ someone else is building there, and I have no objection to them either.
My wife built a shack last week in our “area” (banana plantation) to have a place rest and to sleep when getting home isn’t going to happen, plus for the workers. Permit???? Nobody even considers such in the boondock. If it’s ok with the neighbours, the baranguay, the military, and the other side, that seemingly more than covers it. Then again, there’s a vast difference between up in the middle of nowhere vrs the big-city, so again, YMMV.
Paul,
It is extremely technical but I’ll try my best to explain about the rebar. I asked a Filipino editor about a similar situation and he said; “That is called Filipino standard.”
I’d asked the editor why they hadn’t built a bypass around the city. I’d said that they’d built side roads that one can use to avoid the city traffic. Those side roads are used by buses/Trucks/cars and jeepneys. They go by elementary schools, houses, etc., The editor replied that “The side roads were a Filipino standard bypass.”
Rusty
Rusty;
Next time I would bypass asking that editor anything else. (lol)
A couple of the pictures kinda look like electrical conduit to me, so maybe in the future someone will add some outdoor lighting, maybe not.
Just me, but yes the rebar can easily be cut-off, in the event they ever want to add on ,they have these things called hammer drills, so just drill a hole wherever you want to add on about a ft. deep squirt in some epoxy and jam a new piece of rebar in the hole and add on.
We hired a guy there to run a new electrical outlet into a bathroom for a water heater, he surprised me when he showed up with an almost new Black & Decker hammer drill, I was looking at it and noticed it was 110volt, he said most of his tools were 100 volt, they were cheaper and better quality. I figured he just used a transformer in order to use them, I was very wrong on that.
I watched as he plugged it into a standard 220 volt outlet, but noticed there was a bare copper wire attached to his home made extension cord, I was quite puzzled, then watched as he walked all around the bathroom and finally outdoors testing every pipe he found by wrapping the bare copper wire around each pipe, still I had no idea what he was doing but thought he might be trying to locate a ground for some reason, thats what he was doing alright, by grounding the 220 volt it somehow turned it into 110 volt so he could run his drill, I had never heard of that before, but he was also electrifying that bare copper wire with 220 volts running across two rooms and outside to the city water supply pipe, so he cautioned us not to touch it or we would get shocked, so that kept me away for the time he had it plugged in. He got the hole drilled through the wall though, even though his drill bit was only 3 inches long, and the wall was about 8 inches thick, and he had to drill through both sides of the wall and he missed aligning the holes by about one inch, but that was fixed with a hammer and a piece of rebar and 10 minutes of hammering.
We hung a picture on each side of the wall after he left, it looked great then.
Bill S.
That conduit is the only thing left from the construction 16 years ago and the rebar protruding from the side of my roof patio. I could only assume that the four rebar surrounding it was to protect it from lawn mowers if I ever mowed my concrete slab roof. The conduit is to run TV cable coaxial into every room in the house. (Sans bathrooms.) Now for the odd part, in the history of the Philippines there has never been cable TV in my area and 16 years later it still has not come to pass. But if it ever does………….
Paul,
I’ll send a cable/TV guy tomorrow. Just send me $39.99 and I’ll dispatch the person. Please now that this is a special rate for Paul Thompson. If you do not respond in 30 seconds this offer will self destruct.
The new offer will be $139.99. The cost of typing this email increased.
Rusty
Whoops, Now should be Know.
Ah Rusty,
And you’ll go broke on the first sale because the nearest cable hook up is 12 kilometers away. You’ll be stringing a lot of wire just to get to my street. (LOL) But I accept the offer.
Good morning Paul, the sun is out its a great day and we are still talking about
Rebar, if i ever meet you in subic which is one of my plans I promise not to
Talk about rebar lol , Derek in sunny pasig.
Derek;
We’ll scrub rebar off the list of topics, and talk about why you call it a windscreen which lets rain in the car vice windshield which shields you from wind rain and bugs. A topic that need resolution! Inquiring minds need to Know (LOL)
Or why is laundry soap called Dobie Dust in the Royal Navy. (Wait unfair as I already know)
Apparently building your 50 story condo building directly in the line of site of the Rizal Shrine is a no no.
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=torre+de+manila&tbm=nws
Demanding the tearing down of a 50 story building because people can see it is as dumb as anything I’ve seen.
Todd F;
That is Manila and they live under the special rules of the rich and the politically connected, they are separate from most discussions of the real Philippines. Very much like Washing DC in the United States.
When Daisy and I built our house 10 years ago I was in the US.
Her plotted out the land on the family compound and the house was built.
When I arrived a few months later to see the finished result with papers from PHESCO Philippine Electric Supply Company stating that 4/5 of the house was built on their land and if I didn’t come up with $3500.00 to pay for the footprint plot they would have to bulldoze the house. They didn’t say anything about the squatter shack built up alongside of it also on their prooperty.
Such a deal I couldn’t turn down. I paid. Still no title yet though. We did pay to survey the plot. That’s how we found 1/5 was not on their property.
I don’t trust her father so much now…
I’ve used one of those handcrafted rear hacksaw too.
I also have those loose ends re bars sticking out of the house.
I LIKE THEM! I will use them to cantilever a second story porch overhanging property we don’t own. Overlooking cousin Romy’s fighting cocks farm (on PHESCO property). The PHESCO plan was at the time for a food market/shopping center – I saw the professionally drawn plans. Nothing has happened in 10 years. Meanwhile our view is of green farm fields. It once all belonged to the family. But a lazy uncle sold most of it off so he didn’t have to work. Such is the legacy.
Jade;
Had it been me I would invite them to remove the section of house that was on their land. But may the lord have mercy on them if any part of my house sitting on my land was damaged. After they weighed the cost of removal vice your law suit, you would then be treated as the guy in the squatter shack.
Also along with the rebar once something is built it is never removed no matter how much disrepair it has fallen into. My friend built a very expensive house with another small fortune on landscaping. It the back corner still sits the construction crews rest shed from 3 years ago. It amazed me.