The Makati City local government ordered a crackdown on fake health certificates and work permits following the discovery of fake documents of individuals working at a supermarket in the city.
Makati City Mayor Abby Binay made the order on Monday, September 16, after the city Veterinary Services Department (VSD) initially became suspicious of documents submitted by two meat handlers from WalterMart Makati who were applying for a Meat Handler’s Permit.
These were confirmed to be fake upon verification with the MHD and Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO).
Upon its investigation, City Health officer Dr. Ronald Unson said city inspectors found 48 individuals with fake health clearances in the employees' records of WalterMart Makati.
"A joint inspection by the three agencies at WalterMart Makati subsequently showed a total of 48 individuals with fake health clearances. According to the supermarket’s management, they did not check the documents against the city’s official Health Clearance Certificate system, which would have caught the fakes. City inspectors also discovered that some employees got their fake health certificates from a coworker who charged P1,000 so they could circumvent the required procedure," the city government said.
“It is the responsibility of employers to see to it that their employees strictly comply with health and safety regulations of the city. Allowing workers to commit fraud to skip proper health checks puts the public at risk of contracting infectious diseases,” Unson said.
"This is a stern reminder that we will not tolerate any actions that compromise the health and safety of our citizens," Binay said.
A health clearance certificate from MHD is a requirement to obtain an Individual Mayor’s Permit, which is required of all employees in Makati-based establishments and offices, both private and government.
"Under City Ordinance 2019-A-102, non-food-related establishment workers only need to pay P80 for a health clearance certificate, P100 for food-related establishment workers, and P150 for executives, managers, and supervisors. They also need to pay P50 for the processing of their documents and the seminar. The health clearance certificate is valid for one year from the date of issuance but should be renewed yearly," the city government explained.
Employees without health certificates will be fined P1,000 for the first offense, P2,000 for the second offense, and P3,000 for the third offense. The owner of the establishment will shoulder the penalties.
Currently, the city Law Department is reviewing the case for the possible filing of criminal charges for falsification of official documents.
In February 2023, the city launched an online application for health clearance certificate through https://makati.healthcert.ph.
The standardized, digitized, and centralized health clearance system aims to help employees get their health certificates without having to go to the City Hall.