STILL ON Pedestrians crossing a street in downtown Cebu City on Monday still wear face masks despite an order from Mayor Michael Rama relaxing the mask mandate in the city. —NESTLE SEMILLA
CEBU CITY — Authorities here on Saturday, Oct. 1, started implementing “Oplan Disiplina” to oblige residents to follow simple city ordinances.
No one was arrested on the first day of the program as they gave violators the chance to adjust and inform others about it, said Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for administration of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).
City Mayor Michael Rama hoped to instill discipline among Cebuanos as he wanted to achieve a Singapore-like city.
“Unity in diversity can only be achieved if the people observe an orderly or prescribed conduct, self-control and enforcement of obedience, mindful that a Singapore-like Cebu City should start at home,” read a part of Rama’s executive order.
Oplan Disiplina strictly implements ordinances that prohibit smoking, spitting and urinating in public places, indiscriminate throwing of garbage, parking of motorcycles and cars in undesignated areas, especially in interior roads.
Rama’s order, a full copy of which has yet to be released to the public, focuses on the environment, health and safety, sanitation, and traffic rules, among others.
The city government created the team that will implement the program. It is composed of the Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification and Enhancement (Probe), Cebu Environmental Sanitation and Enforcement, Cebu City Transportation Office, Bureau of Fire Protection, and the CCPO.
Violators will be given citation tickets with corresponding penalties depending on their offense.
“There should have been no need [for] an Oplan Disiplina program because we already have a number of ordinances. But we should do this to emphasize what needs to be done to become a better city,” said Rama in an earlier interview.
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