Good Morning everyone, I am Neap Polle Blanco, from the opposing side for this

discussion. We, from the opposing side firmly believe that drinking establishments

should not be allowed within a 50 to 200-meter radius counting from the perimeter of

schools.

Production of alcoholic drinks is an industry worth at least USD 1 trillion, that’s

approximately PhP 50 trillion, more than enough to pay the external debts of the

Philippines and make the country claim the title of Economic Tiger of Asia. Such net

worth of the industry is an indication of a voracious appetite for alcoholic beverages,

here and abroad.

Alcoholic beverages are usually divided into three broad categories – spirits,

beers, and wine. The distinctions among the three is on the alcohol by volume, the

indicator of how much alcohol can be found in a given volume of an alcoholic beverage.

In terms of alcohol by volume, spirits have greater alcohol content followed by beers,

then wines. The World Health Organization (WHO) conducted and published a study on

alcohol consumption in the Philippines with participants aged 15 years and older. From

the data they have gathered, 73% drink spirits while 27% drink beers and the less than

1% drink wine.

The high numbers in drinking of alcoholic beverages maybe attributed to

accessibility of such drinks. Even in the most far flung areas of the country, alcoholic

drinks proliferate from the traditional tuba to commercials beers such as Beer na Beer,

Vino Kulafu to mention a few. In contrast to the cityscape, there are numerous alcoholic

drinks available ranging from local to international wines, beers, and spirits.
 In low doses, alcoholic drinks cause euphoria, reduces anxiety, and builds up

confidence. However, in large does, there are adverse effects such as road traffic

accidents because of intoxication and liver cirrhosis brought about by long term intake

of such beverages. In the aforementioned study of the WHO, males or females, who are

heavy drinkers, aging around 23 years old, cause and die due to road traffic accidents.

With the same set of participants, they may develop liver cirrhosis around 35 years old.

To prevent such preventable disasters, there should be regulation on selling of

alcoholic drinks. Currently. Republic Act. No. 938, as amended by Republic Act No.

1224, is the prevailing law on regulation of selling of alcoholic drinks through the

enactment of municipal or city ordinances. To quote:

SEC. 1. The municipal or city board or council of each chartered city and the

municipal council of each municipality and municipal district shall have the power to

regulate or prohibit by ordinance the establishment, maintenance and operation of xxx,

bars, saloons xxx and other similar places of amusement within its territorial

jurisdiction: Provided, However, That no such places of amusement mentioned herein

shall be established, maintained and/or operated within a radius of two hundred lineal

meters in the case of night clubs, cabarets, pavilions, or other similar places, and fifty

lineal meters in the case of xxx bars, saloons, xxx or other similar places, xxx from any

public building, schools, hospitals and churches: xxx

This means that local government units (LGUs) are empowered to enact local

statutes to govern the distance of liquor stores and other establishments. Our local

leaders, a representation of the will of the people, should take cognizance that liquor
stores, drinking establishments and the like should not be given the necessary permits

to operate within a 50 to 200 meters around a school’s perimeter.