Mandaue fines fastfood chain outlet

CEBU, Philippines - Mandaue City fined an outlet of a fastfood chain for violation of its "Ecological and Solid Waste Management" ordinance.

The city imposed a P2,500 fine on the outlet.

Placido Jerusalem, the head of the enforcement team said that at about 6 a.m. last Tuesday, his two eco-wardens spied trash near the establishment and upon scrutiny found bones, plastic, and other things among the garbage.

A citation ticket was then issued after the outlet security guard admitted that the trash belonged to the establishment.

However, when the citation ticket was issued the security guard refused to sign it, prompting the eco-warden to return to the outlet during office hours.

However, an outlet employee still declined to sign it because she said only the manager has the authority to sign it.

But Jerusalem said even if the personnel refused to sign and receive the citation ticket, the establishment is still obliged to settle their penalty within 72 hours from its issuance at the city treasurer's office or face charges in court.

Section 1.a of the ordinance states that it prohibits the throwing, dumping, discharging, pouringout, unloading, spilling out waste or garbage whether solid or liquid in any vacant lot, yards, roads, streets, canals, rivers, creeks, underground drainage system, and other public places.

This carries a fine of P500.

Section 1.g prohibits the disposal of wastes that have not been segregated with a fine of P1,000 while Section 1.j prohibits" the disposal of wastes beyond the scheduled time of collection with a fine of P1,000.

Close to 100 Clean and Green employees of the city government are now being deputized as eco-wardens after undergoing intensive training.

Jerusalem said the eco-wardens intentionally do not display their ID's in order to catch violators on the spot. —(FREEMAN)