City Council eyes passing of ‘anti-profanity ordinance’

The City Council is eyeing the passing of an ordinance that will prohibit profanities and other obscene languages in all schools, computer shops, arcades, business establish- ments, and places frequented by young people.

Councilor Nesario Awat, the author of the proposed ordinance, said “it is preventive and restorative” in nature than “disciplinary or punitive.”

“We need to have a policy direction in terms of how we will address ‘yong mga nangyayari sa bansa dahil parang ang pagmumura ay normal na. No less than the president himself. Not to my mind as a public official, we have to do something about it because if we will not do something, then it will not look good. Meron tayong ordinansa na magiging gabay ng ating mga estudyante, ng ating mga schools, patungkol sa kanilang mga bibitiwang salita,” said Awat.

He said it is important for the city to have a declared set of values that children have to abide. The target young people are minors who are prone and are very much vulnerable to bad influences.

Awat noted the ordinance will push for school policies in training and guiding the children to help mold their young minds on what are the proper and necessary words to say.

“Magkakaroon ng mga IDC (information dissemination campaign sa mga computer shops). [Ang mga susuway], puwedeng ilista ang mga pangalan doon at makipag-coordinate sa schools tungkol doon sa bata na ‘yon. Magkakaroon ng counseling. Ang school talaga ‘yong ating binibigyan ng pansin diyan para sila ‘yong tumutok sa [pagtuturo ng] magandang asal,” said Awat.

Awat reiterated that while the proposed law is in itself a governance policy to which penalties are not attached, once approved, it will empower the school’s standard of implementing a set of behavior a student must possess.

He further stated the ordinance will still undergo further polishing in the committee meetings and public hearings in order to identify and enumerate tolerable and non-tolerable words.

Awat noted words are powerful, and teaching our youth the proper, respectful, and necessary words will actually prevent so much discord and fight within the city in the long run.