Council to hold Busking Ordinance hearing
REGULATIONS for street performances will be set.
In an effort to balance artistic freedom as well as city laws, a hearing for buskers will be scheduled by the city council inviting stakeholders to participate.
The city council debated on the merits and procedure of buskers in the city pointing to groups which conduct the activity to display talent and those who make a living out of it.
After passing on first reading, Baguio City Councilor Leandro Yangot’s Busking Ordinance drew mixed reactions from the community with some wel
coming the government regulation and with some, nixing the law altogether.
Yangot’s proposed law aims to regulate busking or the act of performing in public places for gratuities.
If it passed, artists are required to secure a permit with a corresponding fee of P350 a year.
Aldermen also pointed to the fee as to be anti-poor and deliberated in scrapping it, to give way to artists to freely share talent on the streets but faced the dilemma of having sectors abuse the freedom.
During the council meeting, invited to represent the busking community is Maricar Docyogen of Bookends who attested to be an organizer for buskers in the city.
Docyogen said buskers do not ask for fees to be given to them but welcome tokens of gratitude in the form of gifts and money while performing.
She added an area for busking will also be ideal in the Central Business District for maximum exposure for the performing artists.
Docyogen said buskers are willing to submit to guidelines the city council will set as long as dialog will be achieved with the artists.
The Yangot ordinance also suggests, a street performance committee will be created to oversee buskers. Once the permit is given, the performer will have to clearly display his permit while performing, to avoid being stopped by authorities.
The committee will also review performances for appropriate content before issuance of permits.
Performer will be banned to set up at roadways, sidewalks, crosswalks, driveways, stairways, curb cuts, handicapped access ramps nor block access to buildings, parks, public conveyances, businesses, crosswalks, traffic control poles containing pedestrian crosswalks.
Provisions on sound level, distance from other performers will also be set so as not to disturb, obstruct or overpower other performers in the designated area.
The date for hearings will be set by the council with invitations sent to groups to attend.