ILOILO City – The City Health Office (CHO) is creating a special taskforce to conduct focused inspections of carinderias or eateries citywide amid concerns over inconsistent compliance with food sanitation standards.
Chief Sanitation Inspector Jennifer Avenir said the move is part of a renewed citywide drive to ensure that community-based food establishments meet safety and hygiene requirements under local and national health regulations.
“Dr. Mary Ann Diaz, our CHO head, has instructed us to strengthen monitoring of carinderias,” Avenir said. “I will be creating a special team to focus entirely on them. Some are compliant, but others are not — mainly because they’ve gone years without being required to comply.”
The team’s formation will be finalized in a meeting next week, where inspectors will identify priority areas across the city’s seven districts.
The group will work closely with barangay officials and the Task Force on Moral Values and Formation to enforce ordinances and guide food operators toward full compliance.
Avenir acknowledged that some small eateries struggle to keep up with updated sanitation rules and permit renewals.
“Compliance often depends on awareness and regular inspection,” she said. “That’s why our approach now is more hands-on — we’ll continue to guide them, educate them, and if needed, enforce penalties.”
Under the city’s sanitation ordinance, violators face fines ranging from P2,000 to P5,000 for offenses such as expired or missing health cards. Persistent noncompliance may result in temporary closure until corrective measures are implemented.
The Task Force on Moral Values and Formation assists in issuing notices and penalty tickets under 17 city ordinances, including those on sanitation.
Avenir added that out of 15 sanitation inspectors deployed across Iloilo City, most report violations involving expired health cards. “Many large establishments immediately correct their violations once inspected. Sometimes staff just forget to renew their cards, which is why we remind them to renew at least a week before expiration,” she explained.
She emphasized that the campaign is not meant to punish but to promote safer food practices. “Many are now more cautious because they know we can recommend temporary closure for failure to comply. But we’re not doing this to penalize them — we want to promote good practices and ensure food safety.”/PN
