Flood-prone Malabon City has laid down penalties for those largely to blame for clogged waterways and drainage systems.
The city passed Ordinance No. 14-2011, its antilittering law, which slaps offenders with fines ranging from P500 to P1,500, or a prison term of five to 30 days, or both.
Local officials are set to conduct an information campaign on the new law starting February 11.
“For three months, we will make the rounds in the different barangays (villages) to let all the residents of Malabon know about the law’s provisions, so that they may understand its objective and benefits,” said Vice Mayor Len Oreta.
Apart from littering, the law also prohibits spitting, urinating and defecating in public. It also requires drivers and operators of public utility vehicles to install trash bins in their vehicles.
Owners of vacant lots are also required to install “provisional walls” around their properties to prevent these from becoming illegal dump sites.—Kristine Felisse Mangunay