Darts to be considered as sports activity in city

The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on first reading a proposed ordinance providing for guidelines on the regulation of business establishments with darts hubs in the city and for other purposes.

Under the said ordinance, the regulation shall apply to any business establishment that operates with a darts hub, free of charge for its customers, players and spectators.

The ordinance stated that a dart hub shall be classified both as a sporting and recreational amenity within a business establishment authorized by the local government to operate through the issuance of business permits and licenses and shall be identified distinct from the definition of an amusement center as defined under Ordinance No. 15, series of 2020.

Considering that the local government, through the City Treasury Office, is currently not collecting amusement tax from business establishments with darts hubs that are used by players free of charge during operating hours, the ordinance stipulated that the same shall remain as such. Only the original line of business as applied by an establishment shall be collected for taxes and other fees by the local government by simply computing their business taxes and regulatory fees based on their gross receipts for the preceding year., thus, a darts hub shall be considered as a sporting and recreational amenity distinct from an amusement center that collects payment for the use of its amenities.

The ordinance stipulated that darts hub within any business establishment shall be allowed to open from the opening hours of the said establishment and must cease on the use of the darts hub until 11:59 in the evening to provide ample time for official tournaments organized by establishments recognized by the local government through the City Sports and Recreation Division.

According to the ordinance, the owner or organizer shall be responsible for the strict compliance of its operations to the local government’s no smoking policy, dress code, no minors allowed, no serving of liquor to anticipated players and customers, and no sharing of darts.

The ordinance emphasized that indoor sports like billiards, bowling and other sports disciplines, unlike darts, have now been considered as physical education programs in universities as it has been popularized by Filipino athletes winning and dominating global tournaments. Darts is yet to be considered as a physical education program due to its reputation of being played only with liquor and cigarettes, thus, it is great development for darts to be considered as a physical education program in universities.

The ordinance provided that all darts clubs, associations and organizations in the city shall be registered with the City Sports and Recreation Division despite their pending accreditation to their respective National Sports Association (NSA). Darts clubs shall be treated as the local sports association and shall be granted with the benefits, incentives and other forms of assistance the local government may provide like any other sports discipline in the conduct and participation to national and international tournaments.

The ordinance disclosed that establishments found violating pertinent provisions of the same shall be panelized with a fine of P500 per darter violating the guidelines, a fine of P1,000 per darter and a warning of the cancellation of permit to operate and a fine of P1,500 per darter and the cancellation of permit to operate as a business establishment with darts hub. – Dexter A. See