Off-street parking referred to CLO

CEBU, Philippines — The implementation of Cebu City’s ordinance regulating off-street pay parking rates faces another delay after two decades of dormancy, as the City Council referred Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr.'s proposed resolution to the City Legal Office (CLO) for review and guidance.

Alcover’s proposed resolution sought to compel the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) to enforce Ordinance No. 2089, which was approved in 2006.

The ordinance set strict ceilings for off-street pay parking: Class A establishments could collect only ?20 for the first three hours and ?5 for every succeeding hour, while Class B establishments were limited to ?10 for the first three hours and ?5 thereafter.

Under Ordinance No. 2089, violators would face fines of ?1,000 to ?5,000 and possible imprisonment of six months to one year.

The ordinance, however, was never fully enforced, leaving motorists vulnerable to excessive charges.

During an executive session, Alcover expressed frustration that it had been ignored since its passage.

“Imagine, 2006 pa ni nga ordinansa, karon 2026 na, 20 years na ni nga wala gyud natagaag focus sa pag-implement,” Alcover said.

He noted that several establishments openly admitted to charging rates far beyond those authorized, without clearance from the city government.

Complaints have been particularly widespread during the Sinulog Festival, when operators were reported to have charged as much as ?200 per vehicle.

CCTO Assistant Head Atty. Kent Jongoy admitted the ordinance was never fully implemented, citing lack of data and inspections.

Most privately operated parking areas had no permits from the CCTO, and only one facility, Puso Village, had ever been monitored—without proper clearance.

The Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) likewise confirmed that pay parking was treated merely as an additional line of business, without requiring CCTO clearance during permit renewals.

The issue is further complicated by disputes with the Cebu Port Authority (CPA), which claims jurisdiction over certain areas, including Compania Maritima where Puso Village is located.

CPA insists that revenues from pay parking in these areas belong to them, not the city, while councilors maintain that city ordinances should prevail since the facilities are within Cebu City.

Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña later raised concerns about the viability of enforcing strict ceilings, warning that limiting collections to ?20 per three hours could discourage businesses from providing parking at all, given the high costs of land and construction.

Other councilors suggested that amendments should be considered to reflect inflation and economic realities, while still protecting the public from exploitation.

Councilors Alvin Arcilla and Paul Labra also urged mall and business operators to explain their rates and possibly seek council consideration.

Alcover, however, insisted that enforcement must begin immediately and backed his position with a resolution.

Aside from the immediate implementation of Ordinance No. 2089, the councilor’s proposed measure aims to order operators to stop excessive collections and direct the BPLO and City Treasurer’s Office to review erring establishments, impose sanctions, and report back to the council.

Despite Alcover’s insistence that establishments have been violating the ordinance for 20 years, other councilors stressed that the city must remain “business-friendly.”

The resolution was thus referred to the CLO for implementation guidance.

CCTO, for its part, suggested forming a composite team to monitor off-street parking, while BPLO expressed openness to include CCTO clearance as part of business permit renewals. (CEBU NEWS)