An ordinance prohibiting public officers from claiming credit for a public work, project, program or assistance through signages, was approved by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod on first reading Wednesday.

Authored by Councilor Archie Baribar, the ordinance will be known as the “Anti-Signages in Public Works Ordinance.”

The ordinance prohibits the affixing of the name or image of any public official to a signage or any program or assistance extended to Bacolod constituents, as well as installing a signage announcing a proposed, ongoing or completed maintenance, rehabilitation, or construction of a public work or project bearing the name or image of a public officer, crediting him/her for it.

It provides that the local office of the Department of Public Works and Highways, the City Engineer’s Office and the City Legal Office will be ordered to remove all existing signages announcing a proposed, ongoing, or completed maintenance, rehabilitation, construction of a public work or project or signage on a project or assistance bearing the name or image of a public officer, within three months after the effectivity of the ordinance.

Section 5 of the ordinance, however, allows the affixing of the official name or logo of an agency, department, or local government unit to a signage on a proposed, ongoing or completed program or assistance funded by public funds.

It also allows installing or affixing of the official name or logo of an agency, department or LGU to a signage announcing the maintenance, rehabilitation, or construction of a public work or project crediting the agency, department or LGU for the project or public work.

Meanwhile, the SP also approved Wednesday a resolution requesting the Bacolod City Police Office, the City Legal Enforcement Team, barangay officials and all other enforcement agencies in Bacolod City to strictly implement City Ordinance 534, Series of 2011 or the Anti-Vandalism Ordinance of 2011.

The resolution was authored by Councilor Caesar Distrito, chairman of the Committee on Laws, Ordinances and Good Government, who is also the author of the Anti-Vandalism Ordinance of Bacolod City.

Distrito said “It is frustrating to see the rampant violations of the ordinance and how the violators are trying to make a mockery of our law, and make law enforcers ineffective in implementing it.”

He said “People complain and say it is shameful on our part, having been adjudged as the cleanest and greenest city, but there are these rampant graffiti and vandalism in our streets.”*CGS

back to top