THE Bacolod City Council approved on first reading the proposed ordinance requiring all restaurants and food outlets in the city to provide free, safe, and clean potable service water for their customers.
The ordinance was authored by Councilor Claudio Puentevella, chairperson of the City Council committee on health.
Puentevella said the need for safe and clean water is a basic human right, every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water.
He said it has been observed that some food establishments only provide service water when the customer personally asks for it upon or after ordering.
"There is a need for an ordinance in the city that would ensure that the constituents and tourists have access to free, safe, clean service water in restaurants and food outlets," he added.
The councilor noted that Section 15 of Article II of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them.
He said Section 16 of the Republic Act 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991, states that "Every Local Government Unit shall exercise the powers expressly granted, those necessarily implied therefrom, as well as power necessary appropriate or incidental for its efficient and effective governance and those which are essential to the promotion of the general welfare.
Section 1 of the proposed ordinance states that all restaurants and food outlets in the City of Bacolod are mandated to provide, serve, or offer to their customers free potable service water.
The food establishment shall post a signage of "Free service water" on a conspicuous place inside the premises of the establishment. All restaurants and food outlets in the city of Bacolod must regularly maintain and clean their water dispensers, water vending machines, and water storage containers.
Violators of the ordinance shall be penalized P1,000 for the first offense, and P3,000 and P5,000 for the second and third offenses, respectively, it added.*