Skywalk clean up patrol for breaking garbage law

Dirty skywalks in Cebu City will soon be cleaned -by those caught violating the city's Solid Waste Management Act.

Samuel Dy, head of Cebu Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Team said that violators who cannot pay the penalty and those who opt to do community service will clean areas designated by the Department of Public Services.

Dy said the cleaning activity will be done every Saturday.

Aside from cleaning, some of the violators will have to plant trees at the South Reclamation Project and other areas in the city identified by the DPS.

CESET has been enforcing City Ordinance 2031 or the garbage segregation ordinance since July 1.

Under the said ordinance violators shall be meted a fine of not less than P1,000 or by an imprisonment of not less than one month but not more than six months or both at the discretion of the court.

But the ordinance also provides that a violator may opt to settle his or her liabilities by paying an out-of-court compromise fee of P500 upon application of the violator and approval of the mayor or any of his authorized representatives.

Dy said more than 5,000 have already been apprehended for violating the ordinance. -Mitchelle P. Calipayan