BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved a resolution requesting the City Health Services office to conduct regular spot inspections of massage parlors, spas, or similar establishments offering massage or nail cleaning services in the city and to submit its report to the local legislative body within 30 days upon its approval.
The resolution authored by Councilor Elaine D. Sembrano stated that it is the responsibility of the government to protect its citizens from acts and practices that compromise their health and to ensure that the conduct of all services are in accordance to standards provided for by existing law, rules, and regulations.
As a matter of public health concern, the resolution added proper hygiene and cleaning or sterilizing of all things used in the conduct of massage and nail cleaning services must be guaranteed to protect clients from being unknowingly exposed to public health hazards.
In the conduct of massage activities and nail cleaning services, the resolution stipulated that body fluids such as sweat, saliva, blood may find their way to beds, bed covers, pillows, blankets, brushes, pushers and other articles used for the said personal services. Owners of the said establishments offering such services should take the appropriate steps to protect their clients from whatever illnesses that they can contract from availing of such services from the said establishments.
According to her, the services being availed by people involve physical contact and the use of things or items that are directly applied, used or in contact with the bare skin of clients.
Aside from ambulant massage and nail cleaning services providers, the resolution stated that numerous shops and establishments are being put up by enterprising individuals to offer the said services for their increasing patrons.
Sembrano explained massage and nail cleaning are some of the health services offered as a business activity in different parts of the city and there is a need for the concerned offices of the local government to take precautionary measures to protect the public from being exposed to health hazards that will compromise their health condition.
The City Health Services Offices was tasked to come out with detailed findings on the state of massage parlors, spas and other similar establishments offering such services so that the needed actions could be done by the said office for the owners to correct whatever defects uncovered during their continuous operation.
Sembrano claimed it is best for the massage parlors, spas, and other similar establishments to observe the highest standards in protecting the health condition of their clients so that they will not contract illnesses that will compromise their condition so that they will be able to continuously operate in the city without being given the necessary notices that could result to the eventual closure of the said businesses.
She called on residents and visitors availing of such services to patronize those that provide quality services and not the ambulant attendants so that they will be guaranteed of the services they are looking for.
By Dexter A. See
