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DIGOS CITY, Davao del Sur – The city’s peace and order council has approved Mayor Joseph Peñas’ proposal to allow beer joints and bars to serve alcohol at least for an hour after midnight.
Peñas said on Saturday that members of the council agreed with the mayor’s observation that the ban on the serving of liquor after midnight had an adverse effect on the business community and tourism.
Peñas said while the ban was aimed at combating criminality, it caused the entertainment businesses suffer. Some businessmen engaged in this sector, he said, even wanted the ordinance prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages after midnight scrapped.
But he said that there was a need for some form of regulation too, which was why he proposed an hour’s extension.
“This for me was the win-win solution. Allow them to serve alcohol until 1 a.m.,” he said.
With the approval of the proposal, Peñas said he hopes the city council would immediately amend the existing ordinance.