‘Let fun runs in Cebu City pay for overtime services’

Organizers of fun runs and races should be required to pay for the overtime of  traffic enforcers who keep traffic at bay to ensure the safety and success of their event, some Cebu City councilors said.

Councilor Edgar Labella said organizers should also be required to secure permit from the Cebu City Sports Commission and City Traffic Operations Management (Citom).

They should also pay regulatory fees ranging from P5, 000 to P12,000 with the City Treasurers Office, said Labella who authored a proposed ordinance regulating fun runs and races.

“If this is passed, Cebu City will be the first local government unit to have this ordinance,” he said.

Labella’s road race ordinance was set  for final reading during the council’s Dec. 14 session.

But a lengthy discussion ensued which forced  him to defer approval of the proposed measure.

Labella said he sponsored the ordinance due to the growing popularity of fun runs and races in Cebu City.

There were days when there are two to three races held in one day.

A running enthusiast himself, Labella said participants often leave litter on streets.

“There have been undocumented incidences of runners being side swept by vehicles because of the absence of enforcers,” he said.

Failure to comply with the ordinance requirements is punishable with a P5,000 fine or imprisonment of five months or both upon the discretion of the court.

Councilor Augustus Pe Jr. said regulatory fees should be computed to cover  the overtime fee of traffic enforcers and garbage collectors who will work with event organizers.

He said since most of these races and fun runs are held before sunrise or at night time, when  Citom enforcers are  not yet on duty or already off duty.

Pe said if the city would only impose a P5,000 penalty, this may instead encourage race organizers not to secure permission from the city sports commission and Citom.

“The penalty is very minimal,” he said.

Councilor Raul Alcoseba, head of the council’s amusement committee, said since most of the races and fun runs require registration fees, its organizers should be made to pay amusement taxes.

“Some of these are no longer done for fun run but for business,” he said.

Alcoseba said regulatory fees should be increased since the city spends P67,000 for the overtime pay of traffic enforcers assigned to man the route of fun runs.

His computation, he said, already include their overtime pay and mobilization cost among others.

But Labella said a P67,000 regulatory fee may discourage organizers to host fun runs and road races in Cebu City.

Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said it would be unfair if the city had to subsidize part of the costs of fun runs.