Definitions
- Night Club: Establishments selling food or drink where customers dance.
- Cabaret, Dance Hall, Dancing School: Places allowing public dancing with professional hostesses or dancers or charging fees.
- Professional Hostess: Woman employed to entertain guests or dance with them.
- Professional Dancer: Woman who dances for a fee paid by operator or patrons.
- Operator: Owner, manager, or responsible person in charge of the establishment.
Location Restrictions
- Prohibited within 1,000 meters of city/municipal halls, provincial buildings, public plazas, schools, churches, hospitals, athletic stadiums, parks, or charitable institutions.
Building Requirements
- Must have a properly ventilated, well-lit dancing space free from dark corners, safe for dancing.
- No private rooms or compartments except lavatories, dressing rooms for ladies, bar, and kitchen.
- When operating also as a hotel, dancing/dining areas must be separate from lodging rooms.
- Separate lavatories for men and women required.
- Building certification by city/district engineer as safe for dancing.
- Enclosed with fence, only one entrance, no direct links to dwellings/buildings except through entrance.
- Adequate parking to prevent traffic congestion, with suitable ingress and egress.
Days and Hours of Operation
- Operating hours generally 5 PM to midnight daily.
- Extended hours until 2 AM on Saturdays, days before official holidays, and town fiestas except Christmas and New Year's Eve.
- Establishments with restaurant licenses may operate outside dancing hours to serve meals or refreshments but no dancing.
Restrictions on Persons Admitted and Employed
- No admission to minors under 18, persons with firearms (except government officials), or intoxicated persons.
- Minors allowed only in private parties with parents/guardians.
- Professional hostesses/dancers must be at least 21 years old, or 18 with parental consent.
- Health certificate from District/City Health Officer proving freedom from contagious diseases required every three months.
- Hostesses/dancers disqualified if found with infectious diseases or after conviction of immoral conduct or violations.
Supervision and Enforcement
- Under the supervision and enforcement of the Department of the Interior.
- Mayors may assign policemen to maintain peace and enforce regulations.
Permits for Operation
- Issued by city or provincial treasurer or designated representatives.
- Applicant must comply with all regulatory provisions before obtaining permits.
License Requirements and Fees
- Separate license required from treasurer for operation.
- License fees: not less than 200 pesos annually or 50 pesos quarterly.
- Existing ordinances with higher fees remain effective unless modified by the President.
- Local councils may impose higher fees subject to Presidential approval.
Complaints and Appeals
- Any person may file protests to the Secretary of the Interior against unlawful establishments.
- Secretary of the Interior empowered to investigate and cancel permits/licenses.
- Decisions of city/provincial/municipal treasurers regarding permits/licenses appealable to Secretary of the Interior; decisions are final.
Revocation of Permits
- Secretary of the Interior shall revoke permits/licenses if gambling or prohibited games occur on premises.
Penalties and Sanctions
- Violations result in withdrawal of permits and revocation of licenses.
- Funds paid for permits/licenses are forfeited to the city or municipality upon revocation.
Transitional Provisions
- Existing establishments operating on January 1, 1941, in prohibited zones or non-compliance with building requirements given one year to comply or close.
- Secretary of the Interior, with Presidential approval, may authorize continuance beyond the one-year period for justified cases.