The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on third and final reading a proposed ordinance regulating and governing the operation and maintenance of Malcolm Square.
Under the proposed ordinance authored by Councilor Isabelo Cosalan, Jr., the local government is committed to provide the residents with quality park and recreational opportunities in a safe, healthy, and enjoyable environment.
Further, the provisions of the measure and any rules and regulations adopted shall apply to the use of Malcolm Square to ascertain that the said park is far from destruction and shall be utilized as the people’s freedom park being the purpose it was established for.
The ordinance stated that admission to Malcolm Square as a protected landscape is free through the harmonious interaction of man and land while providing opportunities for public enjoyment through recreation and tourism with the normal lifestyle and economic activity.
It added that all activities in the park shall be subject to the control, regulation, licensing and permitting by the city government through the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) with the city government having the right to disallow any activity.
Moreover, payment for the use of the area or environmental and maintenance fees and permits are mandatory based on Ordinance No. 18, series of 2016 and other issuances before activities shall be conducted in the park.
Among the activities that are allowed in the park are social programs, musical concerts, television shows and film productions, field demonstrations, sports tournaments, skills Olympics or competitions, assemblies, rallies and similar activities conducted by religious, political or advocacy groups that are consistent in the use of the park.
On the other hand, the prohibited activities are smoking, drinking liquor or alcoholic beverages, bonfire or undue burning, sleep out, walking or displaying of medium to big size dogs or similar pets, pasturing and turning loose of pets and other domesticated animals, destroying or mutilating, picking or cutting, uprooting of flowers and plants; workout or practice, driving of 2- or 4-wheel drive vehicles, rolling skating, skateboarding and similar rides, unnecessary nailing, bolting or posting of signages in any part of the park, urinating, littering or spitting and spitting of moma, gambling or any kind to include bingo social, personal services like massage, nail spa, henna tattooing, fortune telling using cards or any devices or tools, begging, caroling by individuals or groups, soliciting contributions and donations, marketing or promotion of products, product sampling, peddling of services and goods of any kind, parking of vehicles, destroying, disfiguring, defacing or vandalizing any monument, implements, amenities, devices, displays, signs or any property installed by the government or the use thereof for purposes of hanging any form of advertisements, leaving unmanaged solid waste materials, mixing of concrete or stocking of concrete or stocking of concrete materials, trade fairs, and dog shows.
Any person or entity who commits any of the earlier prohibited acts shall be penalized pursuant to existing ordinances that were earlier passed by the local government regulating the conduct of various activities in the city.
However, any person found violating the pertinent provisions of the ordinance and who voluntarily acknowledges his or her infraction and is willing to pay the prescribed fines shall not be detained or be subject to prosecution for violation of the same and his or her arrest shall not be recorded in the police blotter or in any court record if he or she shall avail of the provisions of the measure by voluntarily paying the corresponding fine to the City Treasury Office and in his or her absence, desk sergeant of the Baguio City Police Office who are on duty are obligated and directed to issue corresponding official receipts to the personal making the payment and shall require the violator to execute the necessary acknowledgement. By Dexter A. See
