ORMOC CITY – A public hearing on a proposed municipal ordinance mandating business establishments operating within the territorial jurisdiction of the Municipality of Albuera to install a closed-circuit television (CCTV) system was held at the Albuera Gymnasium on November 10, 2022.

The said ordinance, which is authored by Councilor Protacio Rizalito M. Ceniza, aims to intensify the municipality’s drive to deter, prevent, detect, and solve criminality and preserve video recordings as evidence, and deems it proper to require the use of CCTV systems in business establishments within.

Accordingly, law enforcement agencies in the country have already proven that closed-circuit televisions (CCTV) are among the most effective tools in crime deterrence, prevention, detection, and solution.

Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) through the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group has conducted a study as to the minimum technical specifications to be required of a CCTV to be installed pursuant to the ordinance.

Further, businesses in the said municipality that are required to install CCTVs are the financial establishments such as banks, pawnshops, money lenders, money remittance services, money changers, and others with similar transactions; business establishments that are part of a national chain or have several branches in other parts of the country, such as restaurants and fast-food chains, 24-hour convenience stores, grocery stores, and drug stores, among others; and, finally, shopping malls, shopping centers, supermarkets, wet markets, and other similar establishments. In addition, hospitals, laboratories, and other medical facilities; theaters, movie houses, arcades, internet cafes, and other places of entertainment that draw in a considerable number of customers; ports, public transportation terminals, parking lots, and other similar establishments that cater to a large number of vehicles; car dealerships, gasoline stations, and vehicle maintenance and service areas are also required to install CCTVs in their area of responsibility. By Gwen Maurillo (EV Mail November 7-13, 2022 issue)