JUST LIKE stores selling cigarettes within the vicinity of the campus, a number of bars serving alcohol to students have sprouted just a few steps away from the University. This is despite a law and a city ordinance seeking to prohibit the sale of liquor to students by establishments near schools.
Last November 25, GMA Network public affairs show “Imbestigador”, together with Manila City Hall officials, conducted simultaneous raids at Sabrozo Bar on Padre Noval Street and Balay Student Lounge on Lacson Street corner España Boulevard, catching bar personnel serving alcoholic beverages to students, including Thomasians.
In the TV show’s November 27 episode, the raiding team found three minors and customers, mostly in their uniforms, in Sabrozo. The bar was still popularly known by its former name, 1611 Grille, which had raised eyebrows as it took advantage of UST’s founding year for name recall.
Republic Act (RA) 1224, passed by Congress in 1955, bans the selling of liquor products to students and minors. It also prohibits establishments making loud noise from operating during school hours; at night if they are near hospitals, and during religious services, if they are near churches. Bars such as Sabrozo, however. have been able to go around the outdated zoning regulations, frustrating University officials’ efforts to keep a healthy academic environment.
While Sabrozo has been caught in the act, it is expected to continue operations after meeting certain requirements, city hall said. Similar establishments continue to operate with the permission of the city government.
“The establishment of these bars is one of the major problems of the University in its attempt to hone students with moral values and discipline,” Student Welfare and Development Board SWDB coordinator Anita Garcia told “Imbestigador”.
“Do we have a more updated version of the ordinance? That is really our problem. We don’t have any papers to show them (bar owners) that their business is illegal,” Garcia said in the show.
Ordinance vs. Republic Act
RA 1224 and a Manila ordinance prescribe distances within which bars and similar establishments cannot operate. The 1955 law restricts bars, saloons, and other businesses serving liquor outside a radial distance of 50 meters from schools, churches, and hospitals. Manila Ordinance No. 3358 fixes a wider distance of 200 meters.
These regulations have previously been cited by the Varsitarian in a series of reports a decade ago as a loophole, as a 200-meter radius is still within UST’s walls.
In any case, both distances are applied as radial and peripheral measurements when liquor-selling establishments seek zoning clearances from authorities. Radial distance refers to the measurement from the center of an institution up to the center of an establishment. Peripheral distance, on the other hand, refers to the measurement taken from the perimeter of any institution up to the perimeter of the establishment.
Manila Business Permit Services chief Russel Perez explained that the City of Manila follows the 50-meter radial distance set by RA 1224, except for UST.
“Manila follows the Republic Act. But in some cases, like the vast area of UST, we follow the 200-meter radial distance provided by the city ordinance,” Perez said in an interview.
The measures are apparently not enough to drive out liquor-selling establishments surrounding UST such as Sabrozo, Balay Student Lounge, U-jam, and Mayric’s, formerly Sazi’s.
“With regards to UST’s size and the RA [being ineffective] in the vast area of the campus, I am not in authority to answer that,” Perez said.
Inconsistent
Perez pointed out that such businesses were permitted to continue operations even though they are near UST as they had been deemed compliant with zoning laws, particularly the 200-meter and 50-meter rules in radius or in perimeter.
Sabrozo’s manager Joseph Aliangan claimed the bar was ordered closed last February due to a brawl involving students, not because of defying zoning laws.
“We were allowed to open again because we have met [city hall’s] standards,” Aliangan said.
According to Perez, these included the amendment of certain “deficiencies” and penalties.
“In my experience, if it’s (deficiency) just a problem in their documentary requirements, then it shouldn’t take long [for them to reopen]. However, if, for example, they are caught serving to minors, then they are immediately directed to court and that could take long”, Perez told the Varsitarian.
Perez said it was clear Sabrozo had been committing violations by serving alcoholic beverages to students in uniform as well as to minors.
Based on interviews conducted by the Varsitarian, not only the regulations are inconsistent—implementation appears to be uneven as well.
U-jam manager Francis Ramos claimed his establishment had obtained consent from city hall to serve alcoholic beverages to students in uniform because it was supposedly not against city policies.
“We already asked the city hall and they said that there are no existing laws which prohibit us from selling liquor to students who want to unwind at our place,” said Ramos, adding that U-jam only opens at 5:00 p.m. to make sure students have already been dismissed from their classes by the time they go to the hang-out.
Perez, however, said his office would never approve of such things as that would suggest that they tolerate students who drink during school hours.
Mang Obet, Sazi’s manager who refused to disclose his full name, stood in defense of the popular bar, saying that it was not intended for alcohol, but for music.
“We’re advocating Filipino music, it just so happened that most musicians like to drink alcoholic beverages,” he said.
After complying with city hall’s standards and installing a back door, Sabrozo is expected to continue operations, Perez said.
Students’ voice
Meanwhile, students who are regular customers of these establishments expressed opposite views regarding the mushrooming of bars near the campus.
For Legal Management junior Paul Ayento, bars located around the campus may be advantageous as students do not have to go to establishments in more dangerous places.
“At least, students need not go elsewhere after class. It would be safer for us to go to bars near UST,” he said.
Andre Cayosa said bars provide stress relief from all academic requirements.
“Drinking is not as bad [as what other people think]. Students just want to have fun and socialize,” he said.
But Information System sophomore Daniel Bayani disagreed, saying that going to bars does not really help in relieving stress brought by school work.
The City of Manila has an inspection division that monitors such establishments on random days. By virtue of Ordinance 3359 and Section 596-A of the compiled ordinances of the City of Manila, authorities can immediately revoke business permits. Marnee A. Gamboa and Monica N. Ladisla
