BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance amending Ordinance No. 71, series of 2009 which penalizes the use of deceiving lights that mask the freshness of meats, fishes, vegetables, fruits and other similar products being sold in the city public market by introducing new provisions to ensure the health and safety of consumers purchasing products in the city.
The ordinance authored by Vice Mayor Edison R. Bilog stated that it shall be a policy of the local government to prohibit owners, vendors, or sellers in the public and satellite markets to use lighting that mask the freshness of products such as incandescent and colored light bulbs and only standard lighting such as fluorescent or Light Emitting Diode (LED) light bulbs shall be allowed to be used in the said public places.
Further, the ordinance added that it shall also be a policy of the local government to prohibit the use of colored reflectors and cardboards above the light bulbs, banana leaves as matting for fishes, and other materials that may enhance the color of the products being sold and owners, vendors and sellers in the public and satellite markets shall ensure the cleanliness of their stalls and display counters and to use trays or crates with filtering vents for draining excess water from their products.
Under the proposal, owners or operators of stalls, stores and other establishments selling meat and other fresh produce found violating the provisions of the measure shall be penalized with a fine of P2000 for the first offense, a fine of P3,500 for the second offense and a fine of P5,000 and cancellation of permit to operate for the third and final offense.
The ordinance tasked the City Market Division of the City Treasury Office and the City Veterinary Office were tasked to ensure and regularly monitor the compliance of vendors in the public and satellite market to the pertinent provisions of the local legislative measure.
Moreover, barangay officials where satellite markets are located must also help in monitoring the compliance of vendors in their public facilities to the provisions of the ordinance.
The ordinance stipulated that the City market Division of the City Treasury Office and the City Veterinary Office shall be in charge of preparing the implementing rules and regulations for the strict implementation of the measure if necessary but subject to the approval of the City Mayor and the City Council.
Moreover, the City Public Information Office under the City Mayor’s Office and the Information Officer of the City Council shall facilitate the widest dissemination of the pertinent provisions of the ordinance through the quad-media for the residents and visitors to be informed on the existence of the ordinance while barangay officials shall also ensure the dissemination of the measure to their constituents.
Ordinance No. 71, series of 2009 was enacted to penalize the use of deceiving lights that mask the freshness of meats, fishes, vegetables, fruits and other similar products in the city public market to ensure the health and safety of consumers purchasing products from the public facilities.
Despite the existence of the measure, it was observed that there are still a number of vendors using light bulbs that mask the freshness of products being sold in the public and satellite markets. By Dexter A. See
