BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance prohibiting the use of public places as dumping or storage of construction materials to ensure public safety and providing penalties for violation of the measure.
The ordinance authored by Vice Mayor Edison R. Bilog stated that it shall be a policy of the local government to prohibit the use of public places as dumping or storage of construction materials to ensure public safety.
Further, the ordinance added that owners or contractors of buildings, houses, or similar structures under construction shall ensure that no public places shall be used in dumping or storing their construction materials or whatsoever natural whether used or new, including debris caused by the construction, repair or demolition of structures.
Under the proposed ordinance, any individual, private or public office or business entity or contractor found to have violated the pertinent provisions of the measure shall be imposed a fine of P3,000 for the first offense, a fine of P4,000 for the second offense and a fine of P50,000 for the third offense and an additional fine of P1,000 per day until the construction materials dumped or stored in the public places shall have been cleared.
The ordinance tasked the City Engineering office, the City Buildings and Architecture office (CBAO), the City Public Order and Safety Division under the City Mayor’s Office, the Baguio City Police Office and the barangays to implement the provisions of the measure.
According to the proposed measure, the CEO and the CBAO shall prepare the necessary implementing rules and regulations of the ordinance and shall submit the same to the City Mayor and the local legislative body for approval.
The ordinance tasked the City Public Information office under the City Mayor’s Office and the Sanggunaing Panlungsod’s Information Officer shall ensure the proper dissemination of the measure.
Earlier, the local legislative body passed Resolution No. 186, series of 2000 requesting the Honorable City Mayor to direct all business establishments engaged in the sale and delivery of concrete aggregates such as sand, gravel, hallow blocks and other construction materials to refraim from unloading and dumping their products along city and national roads including road shoulders located within the city.
The ordinance noted that it has been observed that the same irresponsible act of using public places as dumping or storage of construction materials is still being done especially along roads, streets, and sidewalks at the central business district as well as in the barangays of the city.
Worst, construction materials are even being placed or stored along sidewalks for a long period of time thereby endangering the pedestrians as they would have to walk along the road as the sidewalks are filled with such materials.
The ordinance claimed that national, city, including barangay roads or streets, which are being used as dumping or storage of construction materials also results to traffic congestions as motorists would have to evade the same to avoid the occurrence of untoward accidents that pose a serious threat to life and limb.
By Dexter A. See
