Fine, community service await health protocol violators

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – A P200 fine or eight hours of community service awaits city residents who fail to wear face masks or observe social distancing.

Community service will be rendered in the barangay where the violator resides and will be supervised by the City Health Office.

These penalties are stipulated in City Ordinance No. 926, series of 2020, passed by the Sangguniang Panlungsod here recently.

The ordinance was authored by Councilor Archie Baribar and co-authored by Councilors Cindy Rojas, Al Victor Espino and Dindo Ramos.

The ordinance also provides that non-residents of Bacolod who violate the rules will be fined P300 or eight-hour community service.

A citation ticket will be issued to those who will not observe the mandatory social distancing.

The ordinance also mandated the conduct of educational awareness campaigns, train enforcement officers, initiate information dissemination programs, and direct capacity building programs, for the benefit of the public.

The ordinance further provided for the creation of task force headed by the mayor to aid in the implementation, enforcement and monitoring of the ordinance.