BAGUIO City Mayor Mauricio Domogan is asking the public to get involved in talks on the curfew ordinance in a bid to keep city streets safe and wholesome.
Domogan stressed the city should not be known as a drinking capital but instead as a wholesome place for families to gather, adding police reports show crimes are often committed under the influence of liquor, explaining the ordinance limiting operating hours of establishments serving alcohol aims to curb the problem.
“We [citizens] should react to this one, we should participate [in the discussions].”
A public hearing gathered stakeholders this week to amend laws set limiting operation of establishments until 2 a.m.
Authored by Vice Mayor Edison Bilog, Councilors Faustino Olowan, Leandro Yangot, Joel Alangsab, Elmer Datuin and Benny Bomogao, the measure seeks to amend Ordinance No. 88-2009 which allows only establishments with dancing are allowed to operate from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. while those without dancing are mandated to operate only from 3 p.m. to 12 midnight and liquor retail is only from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
In the proposal, all establishments with or without dancing including night and day club, cocktail lounge with dancing, beer garden or house with dancing, bar with dancing, duly accredited tourist-oriented hotel with restaurant, bar of disco, cabaret or dance halls, folk house or folk den serving beer only, bar or coffee shop serving beer or liquor, disco pub, ordinary beer garden without dancing, cocktail lounge or bar without dancing, cocktail lounge, restaurant with liquor, internet café, computer centers and dart centers will be allowed to operate from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Domogan also said the nearby curfew of La Trinidad, Benguet sets limited hours for drinking and if the city extends hours of serving alcohol, all drinking patrons have to do is transfer to Baguio to get their fix, defeating the municipal laws aiming for the same results as the city.
The mayor said he is not for any extension of the curfew but is for an early opening of establishments if any amendment must be made.
“Visitors do go here in the city to drink, they may go out at night and stay for two to three hours but not all night long.”
Allan Bandoy, president of the Baguio Association of Bars and Entertainers (Babes) is asking the council to amend the liquor ordinance to save their livelihood.
Bandoy represents over 400 nighttime establishments in the city who are up in arms with the strict implementation of a two decade-old law which aims to regulate sale and consumption of liquor.
The group said the existing hours of operation is no longer sensible when compared with the hours of operation of similar establishments in other highly urbanized cities and tourist destinations around the country.