Mayor John Dalipe has called on parents and guardians to be responsible in taking care of their children or face the penalty as the city government is seriously implementing Ordinance 636 imposing a citywide curfew for all minors ages 18 and below.

Dalipe issued the call in his message during the first flag raising ceremony of the year on Monday, Jan. 8, said the curfew ordinance hopes to strengthen the laws for the protection and safety of children in the communities.

Under the ordinance, children below 18 years of age as well as persons at least 18 years of age, who are unable to fully take care of themselves by reason of physical or mental disability/condition, are prohibited “from playing, loitering, roaming the streets, or otherwise merely hanging out or staying outside of their residence, or any other public places from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. without justifiable reason or lawful purpose.”

Dalipe warned parents and guardians of penalty imposed in the ordinance should they be found “knowingly permit or allow a child to loiter, roam, play in the streets, or hang out outside their residences within the prescribed curfew hours.

Meanwhile, Dalipe also rallied the city government employees to be more diligent in their respective duties and functions as government starts another year under his administration.

He said for this year his administration has introduced a new system in the operation of the Business One Stop Shop (BOSS) and the Tricycle Adjudication Board (TAB) as both are now housed under one roof—at Centro Latino for the ease and convenience of business owners and tricycle operators in the registration and renewal of their permits and franchises.

Like in previous year, permitees and franchisees are offered free snacks, free printing of documents and free Wifi at Centro Latino.-[Vic Larato]