Fitness instructors at Burnham Park should consider collecting fixed rates from their clients now that the city government has mandated special business permit and monthly payment on the use of a portion of the park for fitness activities.
“Payment should no longer be voluntary. Dapat maningil na rin kayo ng fixed rate dahil meron na tayong ordinansa, ‘yung Environment Code (that prescribes a fixed rate on use of space),” Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan told the Burnham fitness instructors who are asking the city council to pass an ordinance that will waive or reduce further the P100 per hour they are paying for use of portion of the park due to the dwindling number of attendees.
The fitness instructors also deserve to be properly compensated for their skills in teaching their clients, Olowan added.
Councilor Vladimir Cayabas suggested for the instructors to come up with an enrollment and rate system for regular and walk-in clientele so they will be able to raise an amount for government fees.
“Come up with an enrollment system for regular and walk-in clients so you can collect fixed rates para sustainable at para mabayaran (nang tama) ang pagod n’yo,” Cayabas said.
Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda also suggested for the instructors to arrange a schedule so that clients would only have to choose from a fewer number of teachers, hence increasing the number of clients per group instead of the current setup where clients are spread out among the 14 Zumba instructors.
Under the Environment Code, the city government imposes a P350 per hour for use of space. But in view of the earlier petition of the instructors to reduce the rates as payment by clients is voluntary, fees were reduced to P100 per hour.
The City Environment and Parks Management Office is opposing the instructors’ request to waive or reduce the rates further.
Cepmo Assistant Head Marivic Empiso said with the P50 collected by the instructors per client, the current fees being paid to the City Treasurer’s Office are reasonable enough.
She said an inventory conducted by Cepmo personnel showed that on the average, each instructor has 40 clients per session.
Burnham Park instructors’ representative Grace Lozares has clarified the Cepmo’s inventory of clients. She said the 40 clients is not the actual, but the maximum number of clients per teacher allowed by the Cepmo. She said there are groups that have fewer attendees and not all give donations.
Lozares said there also days that they do not have income especially during inclement weather.
The proposed ordinance adopting a fixed P100 per hour rate is pending at the city council. – Rimaliza A. Opiña
April 29, 2024
