by Juliet B. Saley

Bontoc, Mt. Province (21 July) -- To promote sanitation, health and convenience of its constituents, the Sangguniang Bayan of this municipality passed an ordinance prohibiting and penalizing unsanitary acts in the municipality of Bontoc.

This ordinance also known as the "Sanitation Ordinance of Bontoc" is applied in the whole jurisdiction of the municipality.

Under this ordinance, it strictly prohibits the spitting of moma in any place other than in the spitter's private-personal spitting receptacle carried in his person and in a manner not offending to others; the spilling or unsanitary disposing of moma material or spitting receptacle in any place that causes unsanitary sight or that evokes disapproval from people; any establishment, residence or place of business having its trash receptacle in any place that causes an unsanitary sight.

On the basis of the principle of citizen arrest, the ordinance authorizes owners, operators, occupants, establishments, residences and places of business to implement the ordinance in their respective jurisdictions and to apprehend violators or to demand and collect from violators an amount not exceeding P500 for the cost of cleaning the filth they made or caused.

Other prohibited acts provided by the ordinance include urinating in any place as to evoke disapproval from other people or cause/contribute unpleasantness; any establishment or residence having its premises as urinating places; disposing pigsty filth that evokes disapproval from other people or that cause or contribute unpleasantness to a place; disposing of bathroom or kitchen sink washings on road or public places; bringing small children or pet animals to defecate on roads or public places; and not maintaining sanitary trash receptacles.

Any violation on the prohibited acts mentioned shall be fined with an amount of P500 for the first offense, P750 for the second offense and P1,000 for the third and succeeding offenses.

The ordinance also imposed on owners, operators or occupants of residence, establishments or places of business, the civic duty to maintain the sanitary and pleasant conditions of their respective premises, including the portions of roads, sidewalks or public places directly or immediately corresponding to and abutting their respective premises.

The repeated failure or refusal to comply with this civic duty shall be penalized after the third notice or warning. Violator is charged with an amount of P500, P750 and P1,000 for the fourth, fifth and sixth notices respectively.