ILOILO City – Alarmed over reports of students loitering in 24-hour billiard halls during school hours, the Iloilo City Council has moved to regulate minors’ access to such establishments and ban the sale of alcoholic drinks to them.
The proposed ordinance, authored by Councilor Sedfrey Cabaluna, was approved on first reading and referred to the committees on Police Matters and Youth and Sports for further deliberation.
“I have personally received reports that minors are being allowed inside these establishments, and in one instance, I even visited a billiard hall that operates 24 hours a day where young people were hanging around. This kind of environment exposes them not only to vices but also to potential dangers in the community, which is why we need clear regulations,” Cabaluna said.
He stressed that the measure aims to safeguard the welfare of children and keep them focused on their studies and positive activities.
“This is a community-initiated ordinance, crafted with the help of a concerned citizen who lobbied for its passage. We owe it to our youth to make sure that public spaces do not become avenues for vice and delinquency, but instead provide safe and healthy environments,” he added.
Ex-officio councilor and Sangguniang Kabataan city federaton president Jelma Crystel Implica backed Cabaluna’s initiative, saying she had also witnessed minors inside billiard halls.
Cabaluna, who chairs the committee on Public Safety and Order, is set to lead the upcoming hearing on the ordinance./PN
