The city council is eyeing to increase the penalty for erring movie houses in Baguio.
The body approved on first reading a proposed ordinance amending Ordinance 94-89 which prohibits movie theaters from admitting children below five years old.
The proposal sought to increase the penalties imposed on erring owners or managers of such establishments.
Under the proposed ordinance, owners, proprietors, whether natural or juridical, their managers and employees who violate the provisions of the measure shall, upon final conviction, be penalized a fine of P1,500 on first offense; P3,000 on second offense; P5,000 and cancellation of business permit on third offense.
Earlier, Mar B. Austria, branch manager of SM Cinema Baguio, in a letter, stated that it is within the power of a city government unit to implement a stricter policy than that provided by the Movie and Television Review and Classification board (MTRCB) since a city government has the authority to exercise powers essential to the promotion of the general welfare under Section 16 of the Local Government Code.
The letter is in response to the legislative monitoring and evaluation conducted by the research division of the City Council on Ordinance 94-89 which prohibits movie theaters from admitting children below five years old.
The research division embarked on a legislative tracing project to monitor the implementation of concerned offices of the city government on ordinances and to uncover the reasons if legislations have not been implemented.
The legislative tracking project also aims to ascertain if existing ordinances are applicable based on the prevailing condition or if the same needs to be updated to conform with the times considering the rapid advancement of information and communication technology.
The project also aims to uncover the obstacles in the implementation of the approved ordinances and to solicit the appropriate actions on how to make the same effective for the benefit of the majority of the city’s populace.
The ordinance was referred to the concerned city council committee for study and recommendation. – PIO release
April 27, 2024
