ILOILO – To prevent the spread of acute gastroenteritis (AGE), cholera and other food and waterborne diseases, the provincial government is prodding food establishments and ambulant vendors to secure sanitary permits from local government units where they operate.
The Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) is particularly calling out those selling outside schools, government offices and in highly populated areas.
“We advise sanitation inspectors sang aton RHUs (rural health units) to make sure all establishments and even ambulant vendors have the necessary permits to ensure nga compliant sila sa aton food and sanitation standards,” said Rodney Labis, chief of the IPHO’s Health Service Delivery Division.
Labis said the requirement of sanitary permits for food establishments, including ambulant vendors, is stipulated in Presidential Decree 856, or the Sanitation Code of the Philippines.
“Sa nasambit nga polisiya, no person or entity shall operate a food establishment for public patronage without securing a permit from the local health office,” he added.
Food establishments refer to any establishment that manufactures, processes, stores, or serves foods or drinks.
A sanitary permit issued by RHUs through the rural sanitation inspectors is among the documentary requirements for obtaining a business permit.
Before issuing the sanitary permit, sanitation inspectors require a health card for the establishment’s employees and inspect the vicinity to see if it passes the Department of Health (DOH) standards.
Sanitation inspectors are authorized to implement the Sanitation Code.
Among their functions are checking the quality of the water supply and sanitation of various businesses, ensuring that households have access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, providing guidance on the disinfection of water sources, monitoring water refilling stations, and regularly collecting water samples for water testing, among others.
They also conduct orientations and trainings for food handlers about safety, proper hygiene, and other relevant topics with the assistance of IPHO.
As of this month, the following municipalities have already conducted food safety orientations for food establishment owners and operators, including food handlers or vendors: Badiangan, Bingawan, Calinog, Concepcion, Dingle, Dueñas, Lambunao, San Rafael, Santa Barbara, Sara, Lemery, and Tubungan.
Eighteen more municipalities have indicated they will hold an orientation from September to November this year.
What happens to establishments with violations?
Labis said if the sanitation inspectors see minor violations of PD 856, they supervise the owner in correcting them.
But for major violations like a lack of a business permit, sanitation inspectors make a report, which will be endorsed to the local chief executive, who will order appropriate actions or even closure.
“Ini tanan ginapatuman para masiguro nga ang aton food establishments ginasunod ang minimum requirements para masiguro nga tinlu kag safe ang mga pagkaon nga ginabaligya sa customers,” added Labis.
So far this year, there have been no recorded AGE cases in the province, only 31 suspected cholera cases, based on monitoring by disease surveillance officers in RHUs and district hospitals.
Last year, from Jan. 1 to Sept. 21, a total of 65 AGE cases with one death from Tigbauan town were recorded in Iloilo province.
Here is the breakdown of the 65 AGE cases per age group:
* less than one year old – five cases
* one to 10 years old – 23 cases
* 11 to 20 years old – 13 cases
* 21 to 30 years old – seven cases
* 31 to 40 years old – eight cases
* 41 years old and above – nine cases
The breakdown of 65 cases per town: Anilao (five), Barotac Nuevo (10), Dingle (one), Janiuay (one), Leganes (five), New Lucena (one), Oton (nine), Pavia (four), Pototan (two), San Dionisio (one), Santa Barbara (seven), San Miguel (one), Zarraga (one), and Tigbauan (16).
Acute gastroenteritis is a disease that occurs when food or water that is contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms (such as E. coli, among others) or their toxins is consumed. Some of its symptoms are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, occasional muscle aches or headache, and low-grade fever./PN
