When we think about a place that is very clean, safe and disciplined, we think of the Asian city-state of Singapore.
But, as with most good things, the high regard the country gets for its cleanliness and safety comes with a price. Singapore is sometimes called “The Fine City,” but this title has a double meaning that you don’t want to be on the wrong end of. The label refers to the immaculate, or fine, state that Singapore is in, but also for the many different fines that the country imposes.
Singaporeans place a lot of importance on discipline, and corporal punishment is widely accepted there. Caning is not only used to punish criminals but also as a disciplinary measure in schools, the military, and in homes. Do not be surprised to find canes sold in grocery stores. They usually cost around 50 Singapore cents or the equivalent of P17.25 and are made of thin rattan with a plastic hook at the end to serve as the handle. They are made for the sole purpose of parental caning.
Chewing gum is banned in Singapore. Importation of chewing gum into the country, even if it is not for trading, is illegal. Their current laws do not have provisions for carrying gum for personal use. Improper disposal of gum and merely carrying large quantities of the banned product will cost a hefty fine of up to $1000 or the equivalent of P34,445 for first time offenders.
A proposal on the ban of chewing gums has long been in place and this stemmed from maintenance problems in high-rise housing areas where gum was stuck inside keyholes, in mailboxes and on elevator buttons. Chewed wads of gum left on seats of public buses, pavements in public areas, stairways and floors were also considered serious problems. Regarded as a drastic measure, the initial ban was not successful. But the tide turned when the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) began its operations. The $5 billion project was the biggest public project implemented in the country, bringing high expectations with it. When vandals started sticking gum on the door sensors of the MRT trains it was the last straw, especially when it started causing malfunctions and disruption of services. The chewing gum ban earned its merit and was finally enacted.
Singapore is bent on maintaining its reputation of being impeccably clean, with an active campaign against littering and stringent enforcement in place. First time offenders who throw small items like cigarette butts or candy wrappers are fined $300 or the equivalent of P10,333. Those who throw out bigger items like drink cans or bottles are considered defiant and are required to appear before the court. The punishment usually involves a corrective work order (CWO), where the offenders clean up a specified area, while wearing a bright luminous green vest. The CWO was implemented in the hopes of making offenders realize the hardship cleaners have to go through to keep the surroundings clean, and to make them understand just how unsightly litter is. It is also admittedly aimed at publicly shaming the offenders to ensure that they don’t regress to being a litterbug again.
Singapore has worked hard to gain a reputation of a clean and green city. Public cleanliness requires everyone’s cooperation. The government continues to work with organizers of major events to involve their participants in cleaning up after themselves.
Smoking is prohibited in certain areas of Singapore. The smoking prohibition currently covers all indoor places where the public congregates. The ban was revised in 2009 to include indoor public places that are not air-conditioned, such as shopping centers, offices and shops. Outdoor public facilities like fitness areas, sports courts and playgrounds were also included in the extension. In 2013, the ban extended even further to include multi-purpose halls, pedestrian overpasses, covered walkways and link ways, hospital outdoor compounds, and a five-meter perimeter around bus terminals. The extension also includes common areas of residential buildings.
Their so-called Smoking Act was put in place to ensure a safe, healthy and clean environment for the public, safeguarding people from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke. Thankfully for visitors, the law also requires signages and other such measures to ensure that the public is well informed about it.
Jaywalking is a term that was first coined in the United States but is now widely used in many countries. In Singapore, jaywalking mainly refers to crossing the street in non-designated areas, so make sure you look for marked pedestrian lanes before crossing the street.
Not flushing the toilet is more than just a breach of propriety in Singapore. You will be breaking the law if you do so and expect to pay a fine if you get caught. Don’t even think of urinating in elevators, as they are equipped with urine detection devices (UDD), which detect the scent of urine, setting off an alarm and closing the doors until the police arrive to arrest the offender.
Vandalism is a serious offense in Singapore, with penalties that include not only fines, but also jail, and three to eight strokes of caning. The act constitutes damages done to both public and private properties. Damaging, destroying and stealing public property, as well as drawing, painting, writing, inscribing and marking any private property without the owner’s consent are considered illegal. Affixing placards, posters, banners and flags is also prohibited.
What if similar laws are also legislated and enforced in Baguio City? It may be hard at first, but with enough close circuit television (CCTV) cameras, more vigilant residents and law enforcers equipped with video cameras, it would benefit almost everybody in the long run.
Imagine Baguio without any graffiti on public and private walls, gates and buildings. Imagine Baguio without any trash littered on our sidewalks, streets, alleys and other open places. Imagine Baguio with a lot more trees and colorful flowering plants everywhere.
Nowadays, you can easily distinguish oldtimers or long-time residents of Baguio. These are the people who don’t litter and who frown upon those who do. They pocket their candy or snack wrappers until they come across a trash bin and that’s the only time they dispose of their garbage. On the other hand, most visitors or newcomers to our city just throw their trash everywhere, even out the windows of their moving or parked vehicles. Worst, some even just spit their chewed betel nuts or ‘momma’ everywhere.
Years ago, Baguio City was regarded as the Cleanest and Greenest Highly-Urbanized City of the Philippines for three consecutive years, making it a Hall of Fame Awardee.
If we did it before, I don’t see why we can’t do it again, and this time even better.