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Thursday, June 22, 2006
Lapu bans pupils from cafes
Hours after a public hearing on the proposal, the Lapu-Lapu City Council approved an ordinance yesterday barring students and pupils from entering Internet cafes during class hours.
The business license of café operators who violate the ordinance will be suspended for three months for the first offense.
Suspension will stretch for six months for the second offense, and cafes that violate the ordinance a third time will lose their business license and be closed.
The council approved in mass motion the ordinance regulating the operation, layout, design and construction of Internet cafes.
Time
“No Internet cafe operator shall allow admission or entry into its premises or the use of its facilities by any student in high school or pupil in the elementary or lower grades, during school days from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,” the ordinance states.
Barring students from the cafes during class hours was one of the major inputs gathered from religious and school officials during a public hearing yesterday morning.
Narcisa Gonzales, assistant principal of the high school department of St. Alphonsus’ School, said in an earlier interview that the unregulated use of computers, especially for games, has affected the academic performance of students.
Hearing
At least 57 attended the public hearing inside the Lapu-Lapu City Sports Complex, officiated by Councilor Eugene Espedido, City Attorney Joseph Lim, the Sangguniang Panglungsod secretariat and other city officials.
In the audience were some Internet café operators, religious organizations with parish priest Fr. Bob Villanueva and some officials the St. Alphonsus Catholic School, led by directress Ruth Bartonico.
The ordinance only covers elementary and high school students. College students are excluded.
Majority of councilors believed that allowing Internet use after 4:30 p.m. will give the students enough time for research, for which the Net can be a useful tool.
Individual rooms and cubicles may be allowed, provided that anyone in these cubicles must be visible at all times, in full view.
The ordinance recommends the use of clear and transparent glass walls and doors for these cubicles.
Within 10 days after the ordinance takes effect, the Office of the City Engineer shall prepare a floor plan that may be adopted as a model by Internet café operators.
Existing cafes will have 20 days, from the date of effectivity, to comply with all provisions. (OCP)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 22, 2006 issue)
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