BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The Baguio City Council has enacted an ordinance that aims to preserve People’s Park (formerly known as Malcolm Square) as a public park and freedom space and safeguard its role for social interaction, cultural expression, and public events due to its historical significance.
To achieve this, the ordinance seeks to regulate activities within the park and prohibit those that could damage its facilities or disrupt public peace, including smoking, drinking, gambling, and unauthorized commercial activities.
Entry to the park is free, but all activities and facilities within it must be regulated and licensed by the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO).
Under the ordinance, the activities allowed inside the park include:
- social programs
- concerts
- shows
- sports tournaments
- political rallies
- religious events
- other activities fitting the park’s purpose
Disallowed activities include:
- smoking
- drinking alcohol
- bonfires or undue burning
- sleeping out
- walking/displaying large dogs or pets
- damaging the park’s flora or fauna
- practice driving or skating
- unapproved signage
- spitting or littering
- gambling
- personal services such as massage, nail spa, and henna tattoos
- fortune telling
- begging
- soliciting
- caroling
- marketing/peddling
- unauthorized vehicle parking
- vandalism
- leaving waste unmanaged
- mixing/stocking concrete
- trade fairs
- unauthorized dog shows
The ordinance also specifies regulations for certain activities, as follows:
- Advocacy groups can conduct promotional activities with a special permit valid for one to three days.
- Shoe shine and flower vending are allowed with restrictions on permanent structures.
- Groups can use the park for public assemblies without a permit, but they must inform the city government for preparation.
The CEPMO is tasked with formulating the implementing rules and regulations for the ordinance.
Penalties include:
- For smoking violations, fines range from ₱2,000 to ₱5,000.
- Other prohibited acts, such as littering or vandalism, will incur a fine of P5,000.00 or imprisonment.
- Violations related to bonfires will result in a P1,000.00 fine and/or 60 days of imprisonment.
- Littering and urinating will be penalized with a P3,000.00 fine.
- Penalties for illegal gambling will be governed by relevant gambling laws.
- Begging and soliciting will be penalized under the Mendicancy Law and the Solicitation Permit Law.
- Unauthorized trade fairs will result in a P5,000.00 fine and/or imprisonment of up to six months.
The ordinance has been approved by the Baguio City Council on third and final reading and transmitted to the office of Mayor Benjamin Magalong for signing before its implementation.