BACOLOD City – The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) is urging Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez to implement City Ordinance (CO) No. 995 that establishes the zero open defecation (ZOD) verification and certification team as a supplement to CO No. 881 (Imposed fines and penalties for violations and providing funds).
A resolution passed by the city council last week cited the Department of Health’s (DOH) ZOD Program (ZODP) and health education campaign.
Adopting ZOD in every barangay, the resolution added, aims to encourage every household to adopt sanitary practices to avoid sickness, improve their quality of life, and improve the sanitation of the community as a whole.
Specifically, Section 2 of the CO 995 mandates the creation of the ZOD Assessment Team, and Section 3 provides for the duties and responsibilities of the team.
The team shall be composed of the city mayor as its chairman; vice mayor – deputy chairman; members – Bacolod City health officer, chair of SP committee on health and sanitation; president of Liga ng mga Barangay; Department of Public Services; City Legal Office; sanitary inspector; president of barangay health workers; DOH representatives; Department of Agriculture; and the City Veterinary Office.
Moreover, the City Health Office also encourages and promotes ZOD following reported cases of food- and water-borne diseases in this city.
“If needed, we will come up with possible legislation for the provision of ZOD, including prevention of contaminating any body of water with both human and animal fecal materials,” said Councilor Claudio Jesus Puentevella, chairman of the SP committee on health and sanitation./PN
