Ban on sale of liquor from 12 a.m.- 5 a.m. in Mandaue City

The Mandaue City government is banning the sale of liquor from 12 midnight to 5 a.m. by establishments which are open 24 hours.
CDN FILE PHOTO

THE Mandaue City Council has passed an ordinance banning the sale and consumption of liquor from 12 midnight to 5 a.m. by establishments which are open 24 hours.

The original ordinance proposed by Councilor Nilo Seno originally imposed the liquor ban from 12 midnight to 7 a.m. but was amended after the proposed ordinance was passed on third reading last July.

The amending draft ordinance was on third reading last October 17, during the council session.

Section 4 of City ordinance No. 14-2918-1340 now reads:
“Any establishment may be allowed to sell liquor provided that they have secured a License to Sell. Provided that the seal of the liquor must not be broken within the premises of the store and that it is prohibited for any person to consume liquor in any open public place/space. Establishments open for 24 hours are mandated not to sell liquor from 12 a.m. midnight until 5 a.m. The affected establishments are required to cover the liquor display with a black cloth during the same time.”

These establishments are likewise mandated to put a sign that there will be no sale of liquor from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m.

Drinking liquor in public spaces is also banned from 12 midnight to 5 a.m.

The ordinance defines open public spaces as to include “outdoor spaces where facilities are available for the public or where a crowd of people will gather” such as playgrounds, church grounds, transport terminals, parks, etc.

It is, however, unclear whether only convenience stores and sari-sari stores are covered by the prohibition.

Establishments caught violating the ordinance may be penalized by cancellation of their business permit and a fine of P4,000.

The city ordinance seeks to “promote healthy living and mitigate the increasing number of alcohol dependency maintain especially among the minors.”

It also emphasized the importance of regulating the consumption of liquor especially during the wee hours to prevent “anti-social behavior and intimidation to law-abiding Mandauehanons.”

“The City government of Mandaue, in its desire to continually safeguard the best interests of its constituents most especially the minors, has adopted measures to mitigate the growing problem of alcohol dependency in the city,” the ordinance read.

The ordinance will take effect 15 days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.