For establishments: New requirements proposed

CEBU, Philippines - A Cebu City Councilor is proposing an ordinance entailing new requirements for food and non-food establishments prior to the issuance of sanitary permits and health certificates.

City Councilor Lea Japson said the City Health Department should require business establishments to undergo subsidized X-ray services to marginal workers and impoverish populace of the city, who are "most susceptible by virtue of their long and tiring work hours."

The proposal is aimed to prevent the spread of tuberculosis, which is a highly contagious disease.

"The coming up of new genera of establishment, rapidly growing in the highly urbanized commercial and industrial milieu of Cebu City, which contributes to the growing global threat of harsh climate change and whose operation were not explicitly covered by existing health laws and ordinances, needs now to be addressed properly by strengthening the health and sanitation laws and regulation by providing the necessary amendments," the proposed ordinance reads.

During the public hearing yesterday, representatives of the Department of Health-7 and Cebu City Health Department expressed support on the proposed amendment.

Both agencies told members of the City Council that the proposed measure could be of great help in eradicating or mitigating the contagious disease.

DOH-7 issues the operational permit of any business, while City Health Department issues the Health Certificate.

Engineer  Henry Salodar, acting regional sanitary engineer of DOH, expressed though that the City Council should include explicit regulations on the sanitary requirement of the water refilling stations and vending machines in the city.

"Water supply is very important in sanitary code but it was not clearly explained on the sanitary requirement of the water refilling stations," he said.

He said there are water refilling stations and vending machines that are currently operating without operational and sanitary permits.

City Councilor Sisinio Andales asked Salodar to submit the list of businesses in the city that do not have these permits so that the council could peruse it.

Salodar mentioned vending machines that are found in different sari-sari stores in the city. He said the water vending machines should be placed away from possible sources of pollution like septic tanks, among others.— (FREEMAN)