BACOLOD City – The city government will begin strictly penalizing individuals and establishments caught violating City Ordinance (CO) No. 531, or the Anti-Littering Ordinance, as part of efforts to curb improper waste disposal and prevent flooding.
Under the ordinance, any individual found guilty of littering shall be fined P500 for the first offense and P1,000 for succeeding offenses, along with community service ranging from one to 15 days.
For residences, business establishments, or other entities, the penalty is P1,000 for the first offense and P2,000 for subsequent violations. Business establishments may also face the cancellation of their licenses to operate.
Mayor Greg Gasataya said the strict implementation of the ordinance is long overdue, stressing that the city cannot conduct cleanup drives in waterways indefinitely.
Last week, the city mayor met with the City Legal Office (CLO) and the Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENRO) regarding the implementation of the measure. This week, he is set to meet with barangay officials, including the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) and the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) committee on environment and ecology chaired by Councilor Homer Bais.
“We will meet with the barangays because they receive a solid waste management fund from the city. We will present good practices from other barangays that they can replicate using their own funds,” he said.
The ordinance is expected to be fully implemented by next month following the completion of an ongoing information and education campaign (IEC).
Gasataya emphasized that while penalties are necessary, the greater goal is public realization of the importance of proper waste management.
The mayor also called on the cooperation of residents to help prevent flooding, which is often aggravated by garbage-clogged waterways.
At the same time, he urged the city’s private garbage collection contractor, IPM-Construction Development Corp., to improve its services, citing continued complaints of uncollected trash in several areas.
“Despite the city already imposing millions worth of fines on the contractor, we are still receiving complaints,” Gasataya said, noting that uncollected garbage has led some residents to indiscriminately dump trash in canals and creeks, worsening drainage problems./PN
