Luneta will have ‘spies’ against smokers, litterbugs

The annual Independence Day parade, for example, can put this advocacy to test. Until then, litterbugs and smokers better be wary of “spies.”

Officials on Friday said the traditional June 12 spectacle at Luneta and the nearby Quirino Grandstand in Manila will reveal whether the public would heed a campaign launched Friday dubbed “Rizal Park Goes Green.”

The project is a joint effort by the National Parks Development Committee (NPDC)  and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

NPDC Executive Director Juliet Villegas said the huge crowds expected to troop to the national park for the parade this year would definitely pose a challenge to the campaign enforcers and test the success of the prohibition against smoking and littering.

Although there is already a ban on littering and smoking in public places in Metro Manila, particularly in recreational areas and parks, the “Green” campaign seeks its stricter enforcement in the 54-hectare Rizal Park, also known as Luneta.

The project, which will employ some 70 enforcers, will extend to Paco Park, which falls under the supervision and maintenance of the NPDC.

Under the campaign, even Rizal Park photographers and security guards, as well as student volunteers, would be tapped as “spies” who may report violators to the enforcers, Villegas said.

Some of the park employees would also serve AS campaign enforcers, she added.

Villegas explained that for the next two weeks, violators will first get verbal warnings. But on May 31, which is World No-Tobacco Day, the campaign will be fully implemented and violators will be penalized.

First-time offenders would be slapped with a fine ranging from P500 to P1,000, or be required to render eight hours of community service.

A repeat-offender would be ordered to pay P1,000 to P5,000, or render 16 hours of service. A third offense carries a fine of P5,000 to P10,000.

“We do believe that our fellow Filipinos will unite as we implement and intensify this project, for it does not only address our concerns for the general welfare of all but also propagates appreciation and concern for our natural environment,” Villegas said.