ILOILO City – Councilor Alan Zaldivar is pushing for additional regulations for ambulant vendors amid the increasing cases of acute gastroenteritis and cholera in this southern city.
The city dad, during Wednesday’s regular session, proposed amendments to sections 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11 of Regulation Ordinance No. 2012-402, otherwise known as “An ordinance regulating the operation of ambulant stores in Iloilo City.”
“The ordinance will include not only the permits and health cards but likewise the presentation of handling food, kon ano bala ka sanitized ang aton pagpreparar sang sina nga mga pagkaon,” said Zaldivar, who also chairs the Committee on Health at the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP).
The city councilor noted that cases of AGE and cholera in the city are not only due to contaminated water sources but also possible food contamination.
Under the proposed ordinance, aside from a license plate from the Business Permits and Licensing Division and a health card issued by the City Health Office, ambulant vendors are also required to use sanitary gloves or headgear every time they handle and prepare food items.
“We have already cases of cholera not only because of tubig naton but as well as food. As reported by our CHO, may ara incident nga nagkaon sang kwek-kwek kag sandwich, naglain ang ila tiyan,” said Zaldivar.
According to the city councilor, there are more than 200 ambulant vendors in the city. Ambulant vendors include any person engaged in selling or vending street food while moving around the city from place to place.
As stated in the proposed amendments to the ordinance, the objectives are to protect the general public from food-borne illnesses and food poisoning due to consumption of street and junk food; determine the safety for human consumption of all street and junk food sold in Iloilo City; and enhance consumer confidence, particularly those who patronize street and junk food.
“Kinanglan protektahan ta man ang aton nga pumoluyo nga kalabanan sa aton even myself nagabakal sa higad dalan sa aton mga ambulant vendors,” said Zaldivar.
The move also aims to inculcate among ambulant food vendors the importance of and indispensability of food hygienic and sanitary practices, which through government regulations and education drives will make their street and junk food enterprises safer.
“It is about time nga ma-level up naton ang aton mga ambulant vendors by good presentation not only the food but likewise sang ila kaugalingon , that would attract also tourists nga makadto diri sa aton syudad nga makita nila matinlo ang syudad sang Iloilo even ang aton mga vendors matinlo tulokon,” the city legislator added.
While the proposed amendments are not yet approved, Zaldivar said the City Health Office, with the help of other offices of the city hall, like the Iloilo City Compliance Team, is currently going around the city conducting preliminary inspections of the ambulant vendors as to their compliance with the existing ordinance.
Meanwhile, any person found to have violated any provisions of the ordinance will face penalties which include a fine of P500 and a warning for the first offense; P1, 000 and suspension of business operation for 15 days for the second offense; and cancellation of the business permit for the third offense./PN
