BAGUIO CITY – The City should impose stiffer penalties for people violating the ordinance prohibiting sleeping and cooking within the premises of the City Market.
This was the recommendation of the City Treasury Office under City Treasurer Alex Cabarrubias through Market Supt. Fernando Ragma after noting that many still neglect the prohibition.
The recommendation was adopted by the City Council Research Division in a legislative monitoring report submitted to Vice Mayor Edison Bilog on the status of Ordinance No. 630-75 or “An Ordinance Prohibiting Sleeping and Cooking within the City Market Compound and for other Purposes” as amended by Section 138 of Tax Ordinance No. 2000-001.
In a report submitted by the division under local legislative staff officer V Dan Ricky Ong, local legislative assistant II Jackie Lou Rondez noted that based on the tracking done, the said ordinance is not being fully implemented.
Rondez recommended that the City Council adopt an amendatory ordinance incorporating the suggestions made by the market supervisor including the imposition of penalties: P1,000 for first offense, P3,000 for second offense and cancellation of award and lease contract including revocation of business permit for third offense.
Ragma also suggested that mezzanines of all stalls at the City Market be covered by soldered steel or screen and must only contain stored goods and merchandise; that no cooking devices specially electric cookware or appliances be installed in all stalls.
They also suggested that before approval of business permits, stall owners must secure certification from sanitary inspectors and market supervisors that an ocular inspection has been conducted to ensure that no violation of the ordinance will be committed.
Section 153 of Ordinance No. 2000-001 mandates the expulsion from the market of any person who will fail to comply with the orders and regulations governing the market.
By: Aileen P. Refuerzo
