EDITORIAL - Time to show teeth

As mentioned in a report in this newspaper, a city environmental officer was talked down and verbally humiliated by a staff of a food establishment along Sanciangko Street, Cebu City, after she cited the establishment for using single-use plastics on a Wednesday.

Now the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office is determined to press charges after the offending individual ignored an invitation to a clarificatory hearing about the incident.

It’s good that the city is showing its teeth where respect for city-deputized personnel and adherence to the ordinance mandating no-plastic Wednesdays are concerned. Perhaps they should show more teeth, this time not CCENRO but other government agencies.

We are sure there are other food establishments out there that don’t just commit violations like using single-use plastic on designated days; in fact we are sure many of them won’t even pass the standards for basic hygiene.

Of course, we aren’t talking about those “pungko-pungko” or other mobile or ambulant affairs by the side of the road that can just pack up and go whenever business is done or the day is gone. Such owners have no complete control over their environs. We are talking about eateries with permanent addresses and interior settings.

Many of them may not even pass standards when it comes to basic hygiene, and violations can include unhygienic food preparation, unsafe food handling and serving practices, and even dirty environments like open canals and the presence of vermin like cockroaches, mice, and rats.

Such establishments are usually in parts of the city mostly frequented by laborers and students, but aren’t really confined there. Surprise! Some may also be along Sanciangko Street.

We understand that some people need cheap food at a pinch when the budget is low and time is short, and we appreciate the fact that many such establishments provide them and quickly too. However, many such establishments are in places that aren’t fit to be occupied, let alone serve food.