THE Baguio City Council has approved on first reading an ordinance that would charge fitness instructors within the city’s parks who carry out fitness activities for the city’s residents.
Under the proposal crafted by Councilors Elaine Sembrano, Philian Weygan-Allan, and Michael Lawana, fitness instructors who carry out zumba or tae bo or other such lessons or activities in the city’s parks will be charged a “minimal” fee for permission to operate.
However, the ordinance also explicitly states that only instructors and trainers who solicit donations or otherwise receive money for their work in the park will be charged the P100 fee for each session.
Participants are also exempt from the fee, which only applies to instructors and trainers.
According to the proposal, instructors and trainers who conduct fitness activities in the city’s parks will be exempt from paying the per-session fee if they do not collect any form of income from the activity, or if they are government-run.
The proposal also grants the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) the authority to limit the conduct of such activities to specific parts or zones in the city’s parks.
Instructors and trainers in the city will also be mandated under the ordinance to coordinate with the CEPMO and provide their intent to use the area indicating the purpose and necessary details such as date and time of use, and estimated number of participants at least two days prior to the activity, for each session they intend to conduct.
Failure to comply with the stipulations of the ordinance would lead to a banning from the subsequent conduct of fitness activities in the city’s parks.
