If a proposed ordinance gets approved, public CRs in Cebu City will be required to install bidets. | stock photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The installation of bidets in all public toilets or restrooms in malls, hospitals, and other similar establishments in Cebu City is the subject of a proposed ordinance that will be tackled by the City Council in its next session.
The council’s Committee on Laws, Ordinances, and Styling, last Wednesday, June 21, 2023, submitted its committee report on the proposed ordinance of Councilor Rey Gealon.
Gealon filed his proposed ordinance last May 10, 2023.
The committee said using bidets in public toilets instead of tissue papers is both cost-efficient and beneficial to the public interest in sanitation, health, and the environment.
“With the end view of having a Singapore-like City of Cebu, it is important that we adopt policies and measures to assure cleanliness not only to our streets and surroundings but also to ourselves after using the toilets,” reads the committee’s comments and observations.
Its vice chairman Raymond Alvin Garcia and members James Anthony Cuenco and Philip Zafra signed the committee report.
Under Gealon’s proposed measure, bidets should be installed in all public toilets or restrooms in malls, hospitals, cinemas, restaurants, cafes, inns, hotels, and other similar establishments operating in the city.
Business permits and/or licenses should only be issued or renewed once and when the establishment complies with the ordinance.
Suppose the license or permit had already been issued, but upon inspection, it was found out that the establishment failed and/or refused to maintain the operative condition of the bidets in the restrooms, the bidet should be repaired or replaced within 24 hours.
Gealon’s proposed measure also indicated penalties for establishments that fail to follow the ordinance’s provisions.
Establishments that do not abide by the ordinance may face a penalty of P1,500 for the first offense. A P3,000 fine plus suspension of business permit or license awaits second-time violators, and a fine of P5,000 plus cancellation or revocation of a business permit or license for the third offense.
“The use of bidets is also beneficial for those who suffer from hemorrhoids or with medical conditions considering that toilet paper can be harmful to the sensitive skin in the perineal area. The same is similarly true for elderly people who have less mobility or children who cannot wipe themselves,” Gealon said in his resolution.
Before it could take effect, the council has to pass this resolution after several readings in the council. /rcg
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