Quezon City launched many ‘firsts in PH’ in 2018

The Quezon City local government has launched many “firsts in the Philippines” in 2018. (File Photo By Patrickroque01/Wikimedia commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA — The Quezon City local government has launched many “firsts in the Philippines” in 2018.

On Nov. 6, 2018, the Quezon City Council, headed by Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, launched the “Batas QC”, the Philippines’ first mobile application or app on local ordinances, to spread awareness about the rules and penalties concerning local laws in order to reduce the high record of ordinance violations in the city.

“This is the first user-friendly, city-based database that everyone can easily access, and it aims to counter ordinance violations by educating residents on the penalties they will be incurring,” Belmonte said during the launching of the app at the Quezon City Hall.

Records from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) showed that from June 13 to Nov. 2, 2018, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) apprehended the highest number of ordinance violators at 262,847, which is 58.4 percent of all the arrests made for ordinance penalties in Metro Manila.

Belmonte said the high number of apprehensions has led the local government to implement Ordinance 2752-2018, which mandates law enforcers to issue ordinance violation receipts (OVR) instead of jailing ordinance violators in the city.

With an OVR, the violator can pay a fine within five days at the barangay hall or Quezon City Hall for offenses such as drinking, being half-naked and smoking in public places.

Belmonte noted that the launching of the app is “timely” since it will help residents understand ordinances as the OVR system is rolled out.

“One objective of the OVR is to mitigate the congestion in jails and detention centers, but we want to go one step further through ‘Batas QC’ by helping residents know our ordinances, so they will not have to violate the laws in the first place,” she said.

She added that aside from the city’s priority to maintain peace and order by reducing ordinance violators, “Batas QC” aims to educate residents about ordinances concerning roads, transportation, garbage, healthcare and other issues.

Copies of the ordinance are also downloadable through the app.

“Batas QC” was developed by Thinc Office Corporation which also created MyLegalWhiz, the pioneering online legal resource in the Philippines.

On Dec. 6, 2018, the local government of Quezon City also launched a campaign dubbed as “#healthierQC” at the Nicanor Reyes Jr. Hall, FEU-Diliman, Quezon City. Mayor Herbert Bautista was represented by City Health Officer Dr. Verdades P. Linga.

“#healthierQC” is the first of its kind and the newest health campaign by the city government in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies and Vital Strategies.

In her speech, Linga said “the campaign is geared towards reducing the incidence of non-communicable diseases among children.”

Linga added “Quezon City is building a #healthierQC” in a commitment to fight non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which is now the leading cause of death in the world.” The NCDs, including stroke, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases are on the rise and a leading cause of death in the Philippines.

In a statement, Bautista said “At Quezon City, we are committed to building capacities so that our residents can have longer, healthier, and happier lives. We encourage the community — our parents, teachers, schools, and our youth — to get behind “healthierQC.”

“We believe that, in the long run, being healthy is the best gift we could ever give to our loves ones. Nutritious diets are ultimately a better way of showing how much we care for our family and our children,” Bautista added.

The initiative was in collaboration with Partnership for Health Cities, a global network of cities led by Michael R. Bloomberg, World Health Organization Global Ambassador for NCDs and former New York City mayor.

On Nov. 13, 2018, Belmonte divulged plans to automate city hall transactions using technology.

The vice mayor cited how technology can help reduce corruption in government transactions, saying “Automation would also minimize face-to-face interaction that can help eliminate corruption, so we have to use technology to its utmost potential in our city.”

The Quezon City local government has also partnered with the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, Securities and Exchange Commission and other agencies in a pilot project that will allow new business registrants to apply for business permits on their mobile phones.

In line with the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s “Bantay Korapsyon” campaign, Belmonte has also committed to use technology to stamp out corruption and reward outstanding and honest public servants.

She has pledged to back the use of performance indicators in government transactions.

For instance, she said, through a new feedback system, constituents can digitally submit their feedback after completing a transaction. Good performers will then be given incentives by the city government.

On Nov. 7, 2018, Belmonte bared plans to put up a drug rehabilitation facility for women and a recovery clinic for voluntary surrenderers to more effectively treat drug-dependent patients from the city in line with Quezon City’s campaign against illegal drugs.

“We have been discussing with the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, and by next year, we will have a partnership to establish a facility just for women,” said Belmonte, who is also the chairperson of the Quezon City Anti-Drug Abuse Advisory Council (QCADAAC).

Belmonte cited studies from the city showing that women are more hesitant to go to drug rehabilitation facilities since many of them could not leave their children behind.

She noted that the additional facilities will be welcome additions to Quezon City’s Tahanan rehabilitation center and will help address the influx of drug dependents who have surrendered after the launch of Oplan Tokhang.

Tahanan is the Philippines’ first treatment facility for drug dependents that is accredited by the Department of Health and is fully-funded and managed by a local government unit. It was first opened in 1993 and is being operated by the Office of the Vice Mayor.

Since 2016, around 16,000 have surrendered to QCADAAC and the Quezon City Police District.

After graduating from the community-based drug recovery treatment, the reformed drug users are provided with free skills and livelihood training and starter kits by the Office of the Vice Mayor, Quezon City Skills and Livelihood Foundation, Inc. and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.