Muntinlupa City Council to tackle ‘no CCTV, no business permit’ ordinance

The Muntinlupa City Council is set to tackle a proposed ordinance mandated by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) that will require the installation of a closed circuit television (CCTV) system in businesses catering to a large number of people as a requirement for the issuance of a business permit.

This, after the City Council’s Committee on Peace and Order chaired by Councilor Alexson Diaz held a public hearing on July 18 about the measure.

Diaz said he will report about the results of the public hearing to the City Council on July 31 during their regular session.

The DILG issued Memorandum Circular 2022-060 in May directing cities and municipalities to pass an ordinance requiring certain business establishments that cater to a large number of customers to install CCTV as a requirement for the issuance of business permits.

It mandated that the installation of CCTV will be required for “establishments catering to a large number of customers or conducting transactions and operations which carry risks of being targeted by criminal activity, as well as to those establishments that are prone to accidents, natural disasters, and other unforeseen incidents.”

According to Diaz, under the DILG memo, the following establishments will be required to install CCTV before the issuance of business permits:

– 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/fast-food chains, convenience stores, grocery stores, drug stores etc.

– Shopping malls, shopping centers, supermarkets, wet markets or “palengke,” and other similar establishments

– Hospitals, laboratories, clinics, and other medical facilities

– Theaters, movie houses, “perya,” arcades, internet cafes, and other places of entertainment that draw in a considerable number of customers

– Airports, ports, public transportation terminals, parking lots, and other similar establishments that cater to a large number of vehicles

“Sa mga susunod na araw ay ihahain na po ng inyong lingkod sa ating Konseho ang naturang panukala (In the following days, I will present to our Council the said proposal),” said Diaz in a Facebook post.

He said that the final list of establishments that will be covered by the ordinance will be discussed by the councilors.