March 29, 2024

A councilor is eyeing the amendment of Baguio’s Liquor Ordinance
In a proposed ordinance, Councilor Betty Lourdes F. Tabanda cited the need to amend the Liquor Ordinance to conform to the current situation in the city.
The measure will govern the establishment, maintenance, and operation of the places of amusements within the city, regulating the sale, serving, or drinking of liquor or alcoholic beverages, and providing for penalties for violations.
The ordinance provided that no nightclub, day club, cabaret, dance hall, bar, disco pad, cocktail lounge, beer garden, restaurant, hotel or motel, retail dealer in fermented liquor, retail liquor dealer, retail wine dealer, or any other establishment of similar nature shall be allowed to operate within the city unless a business clearance from the barangay where the business is situated, a business license, and a business permit is secured.
The ordinance added that unless otherwise provided by law, the licenses and permits for liquor establishments shall be issued by the City Mayor pursuant to Ordinance 588 as amended by Ordinance 54-86, provided, however, that no new license or renewal of license shall be issued to any applicant unless there is an attached barangay business clearance from the barangay where the business is situated and a certification to be issued by the City Engineer and the City Assessor’s Office to the effect that the establishment is beyond the distance of 20 lineal meters, 50 lineal meters or 100 lineal meter distance, as the case may be, from any school, church, hospital or other public buildings.
The proposed ordinance added that no nightclub, day club, cabaret, dance hall, bar, disco pad, cocktail lounge, beer garden, restaurant, hotel or motel, retail dealer in fermented liquor, retail liquor dealer, retail wine dealer, or any other establishment shall operate with a distance of 50 lineal meters and 20 lineal meters from the city hall, public building used exclusively for rendering public service, schools, hospitals, churches, athletic stadium or public parks.
The basis of the measurement shall start from the nearest point of the perimeter fence, wall, riprap or whole building they are currently occupying to the nearest perimeter fence, wall, riprap or building of the city hall, public building used exclusively for rendering public service, schools, churches, hospitals, athletic stadiums or public parks which shall be measured through the use of aerial maps by the City Engineer’s Office and the City Assessor’s Office.
For new establishments, the distance should not be within 100 lineal meters from the city hall, public buildings among others. – PIO release