Lawmaker to propose bill to prohibit standing on parking slots to reserve them
Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña is set to file a bill that would prohibit individuals from standing in parking slots to reserve them.
The lawmaker wrote about the measure, to be titled the "Mindful Parking" bill, on Nov. 8 on Facebook. He said it aims to "ensure parking is made available for all motorists."
"Sadly, common courtesy is not so common nowadays. Imbes na magbigayan nagiging agawan na lang ang pagkuha ng mapaparkingan," he said.
"Like all activities in life, ayaw natin ng may lamangan. Car owners and drivers should follow basic rules not just when their car is on the road, but also off the road."
Cendaña's proposal comes after photos of "saving" parking slots in mall parking areas went viral earlier in October and in November.
He then urged motorists to not engage in heated arguments over the said lots.
While details of the proposed measure have yet to be shared, Cendaña said violates would be fined and the driver's license of repeat offenders would be canceled.
The bill would follow Marikina's Ordinance No. 002 series of 2023 prohibiting parking slot reservation by way of standing on it. This ordinance applies to malls, shopping centers, bazaars, market zones, schools, churches, restaurants, street parking, banks, hospitals, medical centers, clinics, and government centers in the city.
Some SM Supermalls branches have signs prohibiting the practice of using your body to reserve parking.
"For safety reasons standing on a parking slot to reserve is not allowed," a sign at SM City Iloilo reads. "Parking spaces are on a first-come-first-served basis."
Former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority traffic chief Bong Nebrija echoed this in March 2019.
"A parking slot is reserved for a vehicle, hindi sa tao... Tandaan po natin na ang parking na 'yan whether private or public, is first come, first served," he said.