BAGUIO CITY – The local government tapped the services of the hundreds of porters in the city public market to implement the various local ordinances that will help in maintaining the cleanliness and peace and order in the city’s premier public facility Councilor Leandro B. Yangot, Jr., chairman of the City Council Committee on Market, Trade and Commerce and Agriculture, said that local officials had already consulted the groups of porters in the various sections of the public market for them to augment the local police force in the enforcement of the various local ordinances that will help in improving the cleanliness around the market and prevent the occurrence of incidents that will taint a bade image of the city, especially among visitors.
“We are elated that our porters in the market agreed to help in the enforcement of our approved local ordinances so that we will be able to improve the overall condition of the market which is our show window for our visitors., considering that Baguio is one of the preferred tourist destinations in the country,” Yangot stressed.
The local legislator disclosed that the porters will help in apprehending violators of the city’s anti-smoking, anti-littering, anti-spitting ordinances and those who are involved in pickpocketing incidents victimizing both residents and visitors who frequent the city public market.
Based on the census conducted by the concerned committee, there are more than 700 porters belonging to various groups distributed in the various sections of the public market providing services to the stallholders, vendors and market goers.
Yangot informed the porters that the committee, through his initiative, will be offering monetary rewards to those who will be able to apprehend and turnover to the local police force violators of existing local ordinances so that they will be empowered to help in the efforts of the local government to sustain cleanliness and orderliness in the market facility.
According to him, the porters rendering services in the various sections of the public market are potential partners of the local government in the implementation of existing local ordinances to help attract residents and visitors to frequent the market facility because their safety will be guaranteed and that their properties will be secured from unscrupulous individuals roaming around the market to implement their evil motives.
Yangot claimed the committee already met with the porters and they were provided the necessary briefing on their duties and responsibilities in extending assistance in the implementation of various local ordinances so that they will be fully aware of the necessary rules in apprehending the violators who will be turned over to the local police force for the imposition of the necessary fines and penalties.
He Encouraged the market goers, stallholders and vendors to seek the assistance of the porters when witnessing the occurrence of untoward incidents happening in the different parts of the market so that they can immediately respond to the situation while awaiting the arrival of police operatives who will secure the situation in the areas where the incidents happen.
By Dexter A. See
