TWENTY business establishments in Baguio City were fined for maintaining unsanitary premises despite an earlier warning from Mayor Benjamin Magalong to clean up or face penalties.
“We are firm in this campaign and will continue monitoring establishments to ensure they remain conscious of keeping their premises clean inside and out,” Magalong said in a media interview on Wednesday, September 10, 2025.
He said these establishments were penalized with fines ranging from P3,000 to P5,000, including possible suspension or revocation of business permits for violating Ordinance No. 59-2020.
The Anti-Littering Ordinance requires owners of commercial, industrial, and residential properties to keep their areas and immediate surroundings—including roads, canals, alleys, and sidewalks—clean. Establishments adjacent to streets are also mandated to provide receptacles for public use.
The sanctions were issued after the Public Order and Safety Division (POSD) monitored 923 establishments across 49 barangays.
Aside from cleanliness, the POSD also checked compliance with business permits, the plastic and styrofoam-free ordinance, and the Smoke-Free Baguio ordinance.
Of those inspected, 12 were found operating without permits, eight violated the plastic ban, and 18 committed smoking-related infractions.
POSD chief Darryl Longid said inspections will be sustained to ensure long-term compliance.
Establishments caught violating the Plastic and Styrofoam-Free Baguio ordinance face fines of P3,000 for the first offense, P4,000 plus a 30-day suspension of business permits for the second, and P5,000 with permanent revocation of permits for the third.
Meanwhile, penalties for violations of the Smoke-Free Baguio ordinance range from P1,000 to P5,000, depending on the severity of the offense.
On the fourth violation, sanctions may include the cancellation of business permits and possible imprisonment of the person-in-charge. (PNA)