Ban ‘Pokemon Go’ in all public areas – Alcover

BEWARE Pokemon Goers.

Your playing days in public places across the City of Cebu are numbered as officials begin a review of a proposed ordinance regulating the game’s “playing zones” here.

A draft ordinance by Cebu City Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr. plans to restrict the use of the wildly famous virtual game in all public areas, including government offices and public schools.

According to Alcover, while many players have been very enthusiastic, walking around the city day or night to collect the pocket monsters of the very popular iPhone and Android game, “Pokemon Go” has the “propensity to unduly disrupt vital functions of, and the day-to-day transactions in the various government offices within Cebu City, as well as the performance of duties and functions of its officials and employees.”

The mobile phone application was released in the Philippines last August 6, about a month after its international debut, and has since quickly swept through the country with many cell phone users searching far and wide for the cutesy virtual monsters offered by the game.

Some users are seen playing the game inside their vehicles while many pedestrians walk mindlessly while staring at their phone screens.

“The reckless use of this Pokémon Go app cause accidents,” warned Alcover while even students in public institutions are “terribly distracted from their studies.”

Alcover urged the Department of Education to issue a memorandum to all Cebu City public schools to ban the game within school premises while he also called for an end to playing the game in all public areas so as not to compromise public safety and order.

So far, no accidents attributed to Pokemon Go had been reported in Cebu City, but Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB-7) Regional Director Ahmed Cuizon reminded public utility vehicles (PUV) drivers that playing the game while on the road is strictly prohibited as accidents on account of Pokemon Go had been reported in many places.

Pokemon Go–related deaths were earlier reported in countries like the United States, Japan and Guatemala.

The city’s Committee on Laws, Ordinances and Styling, headed by Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia has been called out to review Alcover’s proposed ordinance.