New Baguio City Ordinance Mandates Life Vest Use at Burnham Park Lake

In a move aimed at improving safety and security, the City Council has unanimously passed Ordinance Number 51, series of 2023. Effective from June 27, 2023, this ordinance mandates the use of life vests for all individuals aboard watercrafts at Burnham Park Lake.

Under the new regulation, all watercraft operators and passengers are obliged to don life vests before and during the entirety of their journey across the lake. The ordinance explicitly states, “Any operator or passenger who refuses to wear a life vest shall not be allowed to board the watercraft. The passengers shall wear the life vest throughout the ride.”

Life vests, according to the ordinance, are defined as personal flotation devices, such as life jackets or cork jackets. These pieces of equipment are designed to keep an individual afloat in the water during an emergency and are thus considered essential for preserving life.

Responsibility for providing life vests falls on the watercraft concessionaires and operators. They are required to not only supply vests for each of their passengers but also to ensure that the life vests fit well and are in a serviceable condition. Additionally, the life vests will undergo inspections and registrations during the permit renewal process for operating watercraft.

Enforcement of the ordinance will be overseen by the City Mayor’s Office through the Public Order and Safety Division (POSD), and the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO). Both these departments are empowered to apprehend anyone found violating the regulations.

Penalties for non-compliance have been established, with a tiered system of fines set at P1,000 for the first offense, P1,500 for the second, and P2,500 for the third. However, the ordinance offers flexibility, allowing the city mayor to convert these monetary penalties into community service where appropriate.

The life vest ordinance, designed to bolster safety measures on the lake, was first proposed by Councilor Isabelo Cosalan, Jr., in May. It subsequently received the mayor’s approval, with Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong signing the ordinance into law on June 2, 2023.