29 July 2026 – A total of 334 establishments in the city have been issued sanitary orders by the Environmental Health and Sanitation Division of the City Health Services Office (CHSO) from January to July this year for violation of Presidential Decree No. 856, or the Sanitation Code of the Philippines.
In his report to Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Sanitation Division Head Albert Pay-an said this was the result of their regular inspections as part of the city’s thrust to ensure compliance with public health and sanitation standards.
Of the total establishments cited, 166 were food establishments, 141 private water sources and 27 non-food establishments which were found to have violated sanitation regulations.
For the month of July 2026 alone, 74 sanitary orders were issued consisting of 42 for food establishments, 25 for private water sources and 7 for non-food establishments.
Pay-an said the most common violations among food establishments were the lack of health certificates and personal protective equipment among employees.
He said 15 percent of the erring food establishments were cited due to the presence of contaminants in food. These were ordered to immediately cease operations and conduct general cleaning and pest control and were allowed to reopen only upon the office’s reinspection and certification that it has complied with all the required corrective measures.
Among the water sources which include commercial deep wells and water refilling stations, those issued sanitation orders failed the routine bacteriological water quality test. These were ordered to stop operations, conduct the necessary maintenance, undergo retesting and submit passing laboratory results before resuming operations.
For non-food establishments that include salons and barber shops, the usual ground was the lack of health certificate of workers, improper garbage disposal and failure to maintain cleanliness.
Pay-an said the issuance of sanitary orders serves as a corrective measure requiring establishments and private water source operators to address identified deficiencies and comply with health and sanitation requirements within the prescribed period.
He reminded business owners and operators to strictly observe sanitation standards and maintain compliance with existing health regulations to help protect public health and ensure the safety of residents and visitors. ** Aileen P. Refuerzo
