By (PNA)
La Trinidad, Benguet – Restaurants and food joints will be prohibited from dumping cooking oil residues or extracts in drainage canals and sewerage systems under a proposed ordinance.
The proposed ordinance, authored by Councilor Horacio Ramos Jr. who heads the Committee on Health, said that the measure is aimed at safeguarding public health as well as to prevent the clogging of drainage canals.
Ramos added that one cause of flooding in the central business district of the municipality is due to the serious effect of dumping of grease, lard and oil residues which clog the drainage system.
The ordinance covers all food service establishments, including, but not limited to any commercial entity within the municipality, operating in a structure on a vacant space such as booths, stalls, and the like including rooms, building or space or portion thereof as well as areas being used or operated for the purpose of storing, preparing, serving, manufacturing, packaging or otherwise handling food for other entities or for consumption by the public and which have process or devices that use or produce fats, oil or grease discharge.
Once approved, any person, owner or manager of food outlets who shall be found violating the ordinance will be meted the monetary fines and penalties as well as revocation and closure of the business establishment.
The ordinance, co-authored by Vice Mayor Joey Jovencio Marrero, Councilors Roderick Awingan and Nestor Fongwan Jr., is anchored on Section 15 of Article II of the 1987 Philippine Constitution which provides that the state shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness and enforce the local government code.