The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on first reading a proposed ordinance further amending Ordinance No. 7-85 increasing the overprice on movie admission tickets to raise funds for recognized charitable institutions and welfare organizations for the improvement of social services to children, youth, persons with disabilities and senior citizens.
The ordinance, authored by Vice Mayor Faustino A. Olowan and Councilor Levy Lloyd Orcales, states that Section 1 of Ordinance No. 7-85 will be amended to read as follows ‘A P0.50 overprice is hereby levied on each and every movie admission ticket issued by the different movie theaters in Baguio City and shall be due and payable to the City Treasurer not later than the 5th day of the month next following each quarter by the proprietor, lessee, or operator concerned. The amount to be determined on the basis of a true and complete return of the amount of gross receipts derived during the preceding quarter filed for purposes of the amusement tax imposed under the provisions of Tax Ordinance No. 2000,0001, as amended.’
‘If the amount is not paid within the period provided for herein, the proprietor, lessee, or operator concerned shall pay a surcharge equivalent to 25 percent of the amount due, if the same remaining unpaid after 15 days; the penalty under Section 5 of this ordinance shall be imposed without prejudice to the collection of the surcharge as above specified.’
Further, the proceeds of the movie admission overprice imposed shall be distributed as follows, institution/organization; Philippine Red Cross – Baguio chapter – 20 percent; Boy Scouts of the Philippines – Baguio council – 10 percent; Girls Scouts of the Philippines – Baguio council – 10 percent; Sangguniang Kabataan Federation (SKF) Baguio chapter – 10 percent; Local Council for the Protection of children – 10 percent; Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) – 10 percent; Office of the City Social Welfare and Development Office – Bahay Pag-asa – 10 percent; Persons with Disabilities Affairs office – 10 percent; Mental Health Unit – City Health Services Office – 5 percent and police fund – 5 percent.
The ordinance stipulates that the City Treasury Office (CTO) shall remit the collection in favor of the beneficiaries at the end of every quarter or as may be necessary in the case of the police fund.
In order to ensure the transparent, efficient and effective utilization of the proceeds as provided, the proposed measures explained that a reportorial requirement shall be prepared and submitted by charitable institutions and welfare organizations to the city government through the City Accounting Office every quarter. The report shall contain a breakdown of utilization on identified programs, projects or activities intended for the delivery of social services to children, youth, persons with disabilities and senior citizens in the city. Attached approved project proposals shall be made integral to the said report.
Failure of any charitable institution and welfare organization to comply with the said requirement shall result in the non-remittance of share by the City Accounting Office until compliance is made covering the preceding quarter.
On the other hand, failure of any manager, person-in-charge, and other concerned personalities for the operation of movie houses in the city shall be penalized as provided after due investigation and discretion of the court such as a fine of P1,500 for the first offense, a fine of P3,000 find warning for suspension of business operation for the second offense and a fine of P5,000 and suspension of business for not more than 3 months for the third offense.
