ILOILO City – The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) has approved on final reading an ordinance that requires foodservice establishments to serve free potable water to customers.
Authored by Councilor Ely Estante, the ordinance aims to ensure free, clean and safe service water at restaurants and food outlets.
Some food establishments provide service water only when the customer asks for it, observed Estante.
Others offer such necessity but only “with corresponding monetary value awhile others offer the hulog piso-piso or coin-operated water vending machines,” he added.
In approving the ordinance, the SP cited Resolution 64/292 passed by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on July 28, 2010 which explicitly recognized as a human right the access to water and sanitation.
Clean drinking water and sanitation are essential to the realization of all human rights, stressed the UN.
The UN resolution further stated: “The human right to water entitles everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses.”
Under the SP-approved city ordinance, food establishments must conspicuously post the signage “Free Service Water” in their premises.
All food outlets must also regularly maintain and clean their water dispensers, water vending machines and water storage containers.
The ordinance tasked the City Health Office (CHO) to conduct inspection of food outlets to ensure their compliance.
CHO must also conduct monthly water sampling and bacteriology test on the food outlets’ service water.
Food outlets violating the ordinance would be initially called out.
A third offense would mean a fine of P5,000; suspension of business permit; and closure until such time the offender complies with the ordinance./PN