BACOLOD City — The city government has issued stricter guidelines on the distribution of donated food within the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) following the discovery of a “foreign object” in a cup of donated arroz caldo earlier this month.
City Administrator Atty. Mark Steven S. Mayo said a memorandum has been issued requiring prior approval from his office before any food donation or distribution is allowed within the BCGC premises.
The move, he said, aims to safeguard the health and safety of city employees, clients, and visitors.
In a memorandum dated January 16, Atty. Mayo stressed that all donated food items intended for distribution within the BCGC must first secure clearance from the Office of the City Administrator, in coordination with the City Health Office (CHO), to prevent similar incidents.
“It is not allowed for anyone to simply come in and distribute food. There must be proper coordination,” Mayo said.
The memorandum covers all types of food—cooked, uncooked, or processed—regardless of packaging or method of preparation. Non-compliance, Mayo warned, will be dealt with in accordance with existing rules and regulations.
The directive was formally communicated to Vice Mayor Claudio Jesus Puentevella for information and coordination to ensure a unified response following the incident.
The policy change follows an incident on January 16, when a staff member of the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) discovered a foreign object in one of the cups of arroz caldo distributed by personnel from the Office of Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr. at the BCGC. The distribution coincided with the conduct of the city’s Business One-Stop Shop (BOSS).
Mayo described the object as “a black, solid material with an unpleasant odor,” which was noticed when the employee scooped the food using a fork belonging to their office. He clarified that the cups used for the distribution were provided by the donor.
Following the discovery, the city government convened an urgent press conference, during which Mayo advised BPLO employees and clients who processed their permits that day to seek medical consultation if they experienced stomach discomfort.
Assistant City Health Officer Dr. Grace Tan, who also heads the Environmental Sanitation Division, immediately launched an investigation. She said the foreign object was voluntarily submitted by the donor for laboratory examination, with results expected within three days.
In a statement, Gamboa said laboratory tests found no contamination in the food, despite reports of a foreign object in one cup.
Laboratory results dated January 19, from the Negros Prawn Producers Cooperative–Analytical and Diagnostic Laboratory indicated that the foreign object was “unknown,” while tests for total coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli) returned negative results./PN
