BACOLOD City – The city government ordered the temporary closure of 112 water refilling stations for failing to secure sanitary and business permits.
The closures took effect on Oct. 13 – an offshoot of inspections being conducted by the City Health Office (CHO) due to cases of cholera here.
A total of 240 water refilling stations have so far been inspected.
The CHO urged the public to take precautions against water-borne diseases such as ensuring the cleanliness of their drinking water and food.
As of Oct. 11, the CHO confirmed three out of 35 suspected cholera cases.
According to CHO’s Environment Sanitation Division chief, Dr. Grace Tan, the three cases were residents of barangays Mansilingan, Sum-ag and Tangub.
Aside from inspecting water refilling stations, the CHO is also conducting an epidemiological investigation of cholera cases, including gathering water samples from community water sources for analysis.
For his part, Councilor Claudio Jesus Puentevella, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod committee on health and sanitation, said there is a need to intensify the monitoring of all water refilling stations, dealers, resellers, and transporters in the city.
He said the CHO should check, too, the potability of the community water sources to prevent the spread of cholera.
“If needed, we will come up with possible legislations for zero open defecation, including prevention of the contamination of any body of water with both human and animal fecal materials,” Puentevella added./PN
