CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has lamented the passage of laws by the City Council, which are beyond the City's capability to enforce.One such law, Ordinance 1786, seeks to discipline those below 19 years of age by keeping them in their homes between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. But Osmeña said there would be problems in implementing the ordinance because a lot of street kids do not have homes. He said the solution of the problems in the city would not be effective if it is not properly implemented. “They passed a law but it is not properly implemented, and so nobody would believe it,” the mayor said. Two barangays (villages) in the city, Pari-an and Pahina-Central, implemented the city ordinance last week. Their efforts have shown positive results as barangay officials and tanods (security officers), who sent home at least 150 youths at the start of the campaign, found fewer children on the streets in the succeeding days. Lourdes Panerio, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) specialist on youth, said she hopes the implementation of the ordinance would be successful as this would protect the children from the harsh elements of society during the wee hours. “It is good that the city government is doing this but it would be better if the law had teeth so it would be more effective,” Panerio said in Cebuano. City Councilor Edgardo Labella, chair of the Committee on Laws, said he would seriously consider the issues that were raised by the city mayor and others who have concerns with this ordinance. Labella said the council will study how the law could be enforced and how it will be implemented, taking into consideration the situation of the society today. He said that the minors are the victims of the crimes so the ordinance would at least regulate the minors who loiter the streets in the city at nighttime. Panerio said the ordinance would set the limitations of the children in going out late, and so they have more time to study. This would also set the children in the right direction and so it will lessen the involvement of minors in crimes. “It's not just the parents who will be happy over this law but the entire community,” said Panerio in Cebuano. /Correspondent Marian Z. Codilla | 
