Stricter 'CLAYGO' policy pushed in Cebu City

CEBU, Philippines — A penalty for those who refuse to follow the Clean As You GO (CLAYGO) ordinance is being pushed while more enforcing agencies have been added to impose stricter enforcement.

Last Wednesday, during the regular session of the Cebu City Council, a public hearing was conducted on the proposed ordinance of Councilor Edgardo Labella II entitled “An Ordinance Amending Sec. 7 And Sec. 11 Of the City Ordinance No. 2709 Also Known As "An Ordinance Requiring The Observance Of 'Claygo' In Eating Establishments And Providing Penalties For Non-Observance Thereof", Elaborating On Its Penal Provisions And Enforcement Mechanisms And Including The Cebu City Environment Office (CCENRO) As An Additional Enforcing Agency”.

According to Labella, this ordinance mandates business establishment owners, proprietors and managers to regulate measures to encourage customers to practice CLAYGO or the voluntary cleaning of the tables after eating.

Labella added that the concept of CLAYGO has been around for decades but has not been fully implemented by the majority of the establishments in Cebu City.

The proposed amendment reads that, despite the passage of the CLAYGO Ordinance penal provision in 2023, there is a need to provide more details to further guide the law enforcers in enforcing the ordinance to ensure strict compliance of the public.

Aside from this, the inclusion of the CCENRO is recognized as a means to bolster manpower in enforcing the ordinance.

Further, the proposed amendment on Section 7 of the said City Ordinance states that any violator of the CLAYGO ordinance who refuses or fails to comply shall be fined P500 for every violation.

With this, a citation ticket shall be issued immediately by the apprehending officer to the said violator.

For first time offenders they will have to pay the administrative fine of P500 to the City Treasurer's Office. If the said violation will be forwarded in court for failure to comply, violators may opt to avail the compromise penalty in the amount of P1,000.

Aside from the penalty imposed, the violator after three offenses shall be obliged to render community service for eight hours.

For violation committed under Section 5 of the ordinance, the owners, operators, and or managing officers of the covered establishments shall be penalized with the P500 for first offense, and P1,000 for the second offense.

The establishments that fail to impose these measures will be fined P1,000 and given a 15-day period to comply.

Should they fail the second inspection, they will be fined with P2,000; and P3,000 will be the fine for third failure, while suspension of the business license will be applied. Such suspension of business license may be lifted until compliance of such violations.

Lydwenna Eco, deputy general manager of the Cebu2World Development Inc., the group behind the development of Carbon Market Development, commended the proposal saying that is about time that discipline is encouraged within Cebu City.

She said that currently, they are implementing the CLAYGO ordinance in the Barracks at Carbon Market.

She, however, said that execution of the ordinance must be “tight” citing that when they began, they had to employ at least 15 keepers to maintain cleanliness at the Freedom Park.

“But when we started opening it, grabe gyud, nightmare,” she said.

On the other hand, Eco said that as they started imposing stricter cleanliness rules, their customers also began to observe the same. Since this sense of mentality has been instilled, they only have four housekeepers now. (CEBU NEWS)