Implementation of Curfew Ordinances in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija

Curfew ordinances are widely praised, but little researched, enforcement mechanism that local police departments can use to combat juvenile delinquency. The study used a descriptive method which describes the current level implementation of the curfew hours on selected barangays in Cabanatuan City. There is a total of 150 respondents that majority of them were the youths/juveniles age ranges from 11 to 17 of different barangays in Cabanatuan City. As to the Level of Implementation of Curfew Ordinance it is the consistency which is missing which happened to be one of the most essential thing in the process of implementation. As to the perception of the youths to the programs given by the barangay officials to those who violate the said curfew ordinance, as to the data gathered by the researcher, the programs given or offered doesn’t even work as a deterrence for the youths aren’t afraid of the potential pain they will be incurring because the barangay officials do not give sanctions to the apprehended violators. Keywords— Curfew, Curfew Ordinances, Juvenile Delinquency, Curfew Ordinance Implementation, Barangay.


INTRODUCTION
Curfew ordinances are widely praised, but little researched, enforcement mechanism that local police departments can use to combat juvenile delinquency. Ekid (2010) explained that Civilian and local law enforcers ' efforts for peacebuilding culminated in a downturn in abuses of urban ordinance such as violations of curfew. Lersch and Sellers (2000) further explained that curfew violators confess to committing both mild and severe delinquency than noncurfew violators, as well as status violations. Mohammend and Caingat (2017) concluded that teenage boys usually defied the curfew law due to late night alcohol drinking sessions. While, Domingo (2016) reported that in Davao City, where a curfew ordinance is in force, police officers and barangay officers patrol the city, ' rescue ' children, and carry them to the care of the Children's Concerns Office of the Quick Response Team. On the contrary, McDowall et al. (2000) concluded that there is a significant decline in robbery, larceny, and simple assault arrests but only in county records due to curfew laws. Further, Kline (2010) concluded that the arrest data suggest that being exposed to a curfew reduces the number of violence and property crimes perpetrated by teenagers below the curfew level by about 10 percent in the year after the enactment, with the impact of violent crimes significantly intensifying in subsequent years. Due to these insights, the researcher wanted to know the level of implementation of curfew ordinances and the perception of the respondents to the programs conducted by their respective barangay to the violators of the curfew oridnances.

II.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK According to Galabin (2018), Studies of curfews conducted by municipalities may have severe methodological flaws (as opponents of curfew may argue quickly), which does not necessarily prove that these ordinances do not work. Once curfew laws are implemented, Adams (2003) concluded that juvenile crime and victimization will most likely remain unchanged. Wilson et al. (2016) further concluded that curfews on youth are unsuccessful at reducing crime or victimization.

III.
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The study describedthe the level of implementation of the curfew ordinance on selected barangays on Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, and respondents' perception in the conducted programs of their barangays for the violators of the curfew ordinances.

IV.
METHODOLOGY The study used a descriptive method which describes the current level implementation of the curfew hours on selected barangays in Cabanatuan City (Willis et al., 2016).There is a total of 150 respondents that majority of them were the youths/juveniles age ranges from 11 to 17 of different barangays in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija. The researchers used a scale-response type of questionnaire of gathering data. This method gave the respondents range of categories for them to express their feelings and opinions more accurately.

V.
RESULTS Table 1 showed the results of the level of implementation of curfew ordinances in which the statement, "I have observed peace and order in my barangay upon the implementation of the curfew ordinance," got the highest weighted mean of 2.80 with the verbal interpretation of "Sometimes." While the statement, "I have tried to violate the curfew ordinance," got the lowest mean of 2.33 which has a verbal interpretation of "Rarely." The barangay officials conduct info drive to disseminate information and provisions of the curfew ordinance.

Sometimes 7
The consistency is present in the implementation of the curfew ordinance of your barangay.

Sometimes 8
The barangay police security 2.73 Sometimes officers of my barangay consistently patrol in their respective area of responsibilities. 9 Upon the implementation of the said curfew ordinance I felt safer and more secured.
2.79 Sometimes 10 I have observed peace and order in my barangay upon the implementation of the curfew ordinance. Table 2 showed the results of the respondents' perception in the conducted programs of their respective barangays for the violators of the curfew ordinances in which the statement, "I, personally, think that the programs given by your barangay has positive impact upon those who violates the curfew ordinance," got the highest weighted mean of 2.87 interpreted as "Sometimes." While the statement, "The violators do not comply with the programs given by the barangay officials," got the lowest weighted mean of 2.44 interpreted as "Rarely." Statement  WM  VI  1 I, personally, think that the programs given by your barangay has positive impact upon those who violates the curfew ordinance.

Sometimes 2
Our barangay officials consistently provide programs or sanctions to those who violate the said curfew ordinance.

Sometimes 3
They conduct community service as a punishment to those who violates the curfew ordinance. The violators do not comply with the programs given by the barangay officials.
2.44 Rarely 10 The programs seem not to give sanction rather it seem like a reward to those who violate the said curfew ordinance.

VI. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION
As to the Level of Implementation of Curfew Ordinance it is the consistency which is missing which happened to be one of the most essential thing in the process of implementation. Youths were also not furnished by enough information about what curfew is, and what curfew does. As to the perception of the youths to the programs given by the barangay officials to those who violate the said curfew ordinance, as to the data gathered by the researcher, the programs given or offered doesn't even work as a deterrence for the youths aren't afraid of the potential pain they will be incurring because the barangay officials do not give sanctions to the apprehended violators. Instead of acting as deterrence it was just taken for granted by the offenders.