137 environmental violators issued with citation tickets

At least 137 people were issued with citation tickets for littering and smoking in public areas in Cebu City from January 10 to January 13.

Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) has recorded 109 violators of littering, 25 violators of anti-smoking, one violator of solid waste segregation, and two violators of solid waste management.

CCENRO has deployed 212 barangay environment officers since Thursday.

CENRO Head Ma. Nida Cabrera said her office is strictly implementing environmental laws and ordinances to ensure the cleanliness of the city streets all throughout the Sinulog.

Last year, CENRO apprehended over 2,000 violators.

Cabrera hopes the number of violators will decrease this year.

Aside from devotees visiting Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño, she said, her office will also start apprehending erring vendors who indiscriminately throwing garbage and other trash along the Sinulog Grand Parade route and the Plaza Independencia.

CCENRO has set up 24 ecostations to minimize the volume of garbage on the parade route.

Each eco-station has four garbage receptacles each labeled with the corresponding type of waste.

Cabrera said vendors are not allowed to throw garbage into the eco-stations, which are only intended for Sto. Niño devotees and Sinulog revelers.

Those who will be caught will be fined P1,000 for first offense. For succeeding offenses, the fines will go up as high as P3,000.

Meanwhile, Councilor David Tumulak, chairman of the Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI)—Executive Committee, is now gearing for the 39th Sinulog Grand Parade on January 20.

He said at least 24 contingents will join the competition.

Also, 10 puppeteers, 24 higantes, and 42 floats will participate in the grand parade.

The grand parade will also showcase six guest performers from Sandiego Dance Company, Philippine National Police, South Korea, Cebu City Government, Cebu Province, and Tangub City.

As for Sinulog’s weather forecast, Metro Cebu is likely to experience rains in time for the Sinulog festivities this weekend.

A low pressure area may enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Thursday and may last until Sunday.

But rain or shine, Tumulak said, the Sinulog Grand Parade will go on as scheduled at the Cebu City Sports Center. —