Difficulties in city’s anti-graffiti drive, noted

EXCEPT in a few barangays, the city’s on-going campaign against illegal graffiti is still experiencing difficulties according to Anti-Graffiti Task Force (AGTF) operations head Ross Goze.

“Graffiti is continuing in the central business district and it seems that the city’s anti-graffiti ordinance is not being keenly implemented in the area,” he claimed.

Earlier, the task force reiterated its call for barangays to send volunteers for training so they can assist in the city’s on-going campaign against graffiti vandalism.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan, AGTF chairman, also directed police personnel to step up their apprehension of violators of the city’s anti-graffiti ordinance as he stressed that graffiti vandalism continues to be a problem in many parts of the Summer Capital.

“These acts of vandalism should be dealt with and not taken for granted,” he stressed.

AGTF operations head Ross Goze is thankful that this year’s search for the city’s cleanest barangays has included graffiti vandalism as one of its criteria for judging.

He added that the group continues to conduct lectures and trainings for volunteers at the AGTF office at Baguio Convention Center so they can assist in the city’s on-go- ing campaign against graffiti vandalism.

Goze revealed that 75 representatives from 38 barangays have undergone the training-seminars since these started in June of last year. He is urging other barangays to send their representatives for training.

He said trainees are given the general overview of the AntiGraffiti code; the process of gathering inventory of illegal graffiti in their respective areas; the actual information campaign; the proper way of removing illegal graffiti, and more.

The code defines graffiti or graffiti vandalism as “any unauthorized inscription, word, figure, painting or defacement that is written, marked, etched, scratched, sprayed, drawn, painted or engraved on or otherwise affixed, to the extent that the graffiti was not authorized in advance by the owner or occupant of the property, or despite advance authorization, is otherwise deemed a public nuisance. It shall include all types of unauthorized markings amounting to vandalism and public nuisance.”

It also mentions other prohibited acts, penalties to be imposed for violations and other pertinent details for its proper implementation. Gaby Keith