City Council approves ordinance regulating running events

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council finally approved yesterday the ordinance sponsored by Councilor Edgardo Labella regulating the holding of fun runs or any other similar activities.

With the aim of avoiding traffic congestion, Labella proudly announced that Cebu City is the first local government unit in the country to enact such kind of ordinance regulating fun runs or foot races that involves running, jogging or walking.

He said that the Cebu City government welcomes the growing popularity of running not only for its beneficial effect on the health and physical fitness of its constituents, but also for the boost it has given to the city’s economy because of the influx of tourists.

Labella said that while the holding of fun runs will improve the health conditions of people, there is also a need to assist them, such as traffic control during the event, so their activity will not cause traffic congestion.

Since most of these fun runs are to be made during weekends where there are only a few traffic and garbage personnel on duty, the city will be spending additional cost for the extra services of City Hall personnel.

It has been observed that after fun runs, plastic cups and other kinds of rubbish are just left scattered in the route that is why the newly-approved ordinance requires the fun run organizers to clean the routes of garbage.

When the ordinance was still deliberated by the city legislators, there were suggestions that fun run organizers will be required to pay for the extra services of the traffic enforcers and garbage collectors who will assist them during the event but upon its approval yesterday, the issue was not discussed again.

The ordinance provides that the fun run organizers shall make sure to clean their routes of any wastes like plastic cups, and other kinds of rubbish.

“Considering further that, in addition to the said expenses for personnel services, these foot races, fun runs and similar special events also affect the traffic situation in the city, thus creating the need to regulate the said activities,” Labella said.

Now that the ordinance has been approved by the City Council, any person or association that will organize foot races, fun runs and other similar events are required to first secure a written permit from the Cebu City Sports Commission.

The CCSC will not approve applications without recommendation from the City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) and the payment of regulatory fees from the City Treasurer’s Office, if the event involves participants registered for a fee.

The regulatory fees is P7,000 for the 10 kilometer-run or shorter, P10,000 for more than 10 kilometers but not exceeding 21 kilometers distance and P15,000 for the 21 kilometers and beyond.

The ordinance also provides that fun runs shall be allowed only during Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, except when special circumstances and considerations may require the holding of the foot race, fun runs and other similar events on other days of the week.

Each permit application for fun runs shall be made in writing and aside from the names of the applicants and the date of the event, the number of persons and vehicles participating in the event should also be declared.

Permits shall be required from those fun runs commencing in another city or municipalities even if it only traverses the Cebu City to its finish line to determine if it will be allowed.

But if the fun run will be conducted inside a private property that is situated in the city, organizers need not apply for a permit for the activity and the organizers should only ask the permission of the property owner.

The newly-enacted ordinance does not cover law enforcement agencies like the police and military personnel and some other small groups that usually jog early in the morning as part of their exercises or recreational purposes.

Copies of the approved ordinance will be sent to Mayor Michael Rama for his signature and will be implemented 15 days after its publication. — (FREEMAN)