"Dormitory City.” That is an appellation that has been applied to San Pedro City, Laguna for years, as it had become a haven of sorts for workers from Metro Manila and other parts of the Calabarzon region.
Thanks to its proximity and easy access to Metro Manila, San Pedro City has become an ideal place for many workers to live and raise their families. This was evidenced by a boom in subdivisions and residential complexes that started in the 1970's and 1980's and continued up to the present.
“Noon, iniwasan nating tanggapin ang katawagang ito, dahil parang salungat ito sa pangarap nating maging isang progresibong lungsod,” Mayor Art Mercado candidly put it in his Facebook page last Thursday, July 10.
Today, however, Mercado's administration has realized that it is precisely San Pedro City’s reputation as a “dormitory city” that drives its continued socio-economic progress.
“Ang pagtataguyod ng isang SmART City ay hindi lamang tungkol sa teknolohiya o modernong imprastraktura. Nagsisimula ito sa simpleng bagay: ang kalinisan ng ating mga kalsada, ang katahimikan ng ating mga gabi, at ang katiwasayan ng bawat tahanan,” the mayor added.
In line with this understanding, Mercado recently released and publicized two major executive orders that will ensure that its residents will have safe, livable spaces where they can raise their families without fear.
Environmental protection
Executive Order No. 7 establishes the “Project Linis Warriors,” an initiative where the city government, through the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) and the City General Services Office (GSO), will deploy 70 individuals who will conduct intensified street-sweeping, cleaning and sanitation activities until December 31, 2025.
The program will be implemented under a “cash-for-work” scheme, which means that it will not only promote cleanliness and public health but also provide employment for residents.
The executive order also enjoins business establishments and residents to strictly comply with Ordinance No. 2008-017, which lays down the rules for proper waste disposal and prohibits residents from burning waste materials.
Peace and Order
Executive Order No. 9, on the other hand, provides for the stricter implementation of City Ordinance No. 2020-31 that prohibits the use of loud mufflers, particularly on motorcycles.
Under the EO, all motor vehicles in San Pedro City are required to have properly functioning mufflers or noise dissipative devices.
The order also prohibits the use of modified mufflers, sound boosters, or “any device that increases its noise output beyond acceptable standards.”
These two executive orders, Mercado said, ensures that every resident of San Pedro City will have a place “where peace, order, and community spirit welcome them back.”
“May dahilan kung bakit ang San Pedro pa rin ang pinipiling uwian at tuluyan ng marami. At mas pinili nating hindi tumalikod sa katotohanang ito, kundi yakapin ito bilang hamon at buuin ang lungsod na karapat-dapat sa bawat San Pedronian,” he stressed.
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