Food sanitation at the Roxas Night Market
THE Roxas Night Market is a place where you can find different varieties of food, garments, and other things all in one place. Students, employees, workers, and families gather to partake of the local delicacies. With approximately 425 stalls, it is a place for families, friends and co-workers looking for one-stop shopping and dining destination.
The Roxas Night Market is an upgrade of the first version, that saw stall owners seting up semi-permanent structures that contributed to the traffic and created problems with solid waste. Since two years ago, however, after the city government insisted that no structure whether permanent or temporary will be left on the street after the night market closes, the place had gathered the people and business has become brisk.
Since then, the market has been one of the most visited places in the city showcasing Davao’s pride of variety of food and clothes.
But how can we be sure that the food they’re serving is clean and safe?
According to Lynn B. Divinagracia, Sanitation Inspector II of the Roxas night market, before vendors can sell, they need first to comply certain requirements to be passed in the city government specifically in the Davao Environmental Sanitation Office.
“Before they are deployed, there’s raffling na nahitabo, meron silang health card (stalls are raffled out and those who get stalls have to get health cards), before securing health card, they should have urinalysis, fecalysis and chest x-ray laboratory, sedula (residence certificate), and payment of P50.00 for the card, and proceed to city health to avail the city health card,” Divinagracia enumerated.
These requirements are needed to ensure the safety and cleanliness not just on the food and products they sell, but also to the credibility of the vendors themselves. Divinagracia also added that before they go to the site, the City Health Office especially the Task Force assigned in the night market conducts lecture regarding the food safety of the vendors first.
“Tinuturuan yan sila on how to prepare yung proper storage ng food, proper preparation at tsaka handling at yung vendors natin meron yan silang health certificates. Physically fit sila, healthy yung ating mga vendors/ food handlers. Kasi yung mga na handle nila na food, safe kasi nag undergo ang food handlers ng seminar tapos yung kanilang certificate ng kanilang X-ray, stool and urine kaya ma-isyuhan sila ng health certificate,” Luzminda Paig, Davao Environmental Sanitation office chief, said.
To assure the loyal buyers and consumers of the safety and proper sanitation of the Roxas Night Market, the Davao City government assigned inspectors and formulated a task force around the area, responsible to monitor and inspect the food and products.
“Before they are deployed sa area at 6 o’clock, we see to it na ang commissary nila -- the one kung asa nila gina prepare ang food -- we see to it na we will inspect that place para makita na natin ang proper sanitation nila,” Divinagracia said.
Since Roxas Night Market is located at the heart of the city, it is expected that a lot of locals and even tourists visit the place.
The food sold in Roxas has not undergone food laboratory testing but so far there hasn’t been any cases regarding the outbreak of food poisoning. According to the City Health Office, they monitor everything at the Roxas Night Market to ensure safety and cleanliness around the premises.
“So far sa two years walang nagkakaroon ng cases for the outbreak of food poisoning,” Villagracia said.
Every stall owner is required to have a trashcan, broomstick, and dustpan.
"But dahil sa nangyaring bombing, nag ask sila (vendors) ng favor nai-consider ng City Health na cellophane na lang yung gagamitin nila,” Villagracia added.
The City Health Office approved their request but they are still required to segregate their wastes even if these will be placed in plastic bags. The CENRO provided two bins at the end of the park and these are collected after closing time.
During her first term, Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte ordered the closure of the Night Market for violating the rules set by the city government. In a report by Mindanews, it says the reason behind the closure was the report of Chief Rhodelio Poliquit from the City Traffic and Transport Managament Office (CTTMO) saying the vendors vioated the one-family-one-stall rule.
"They insist on their preferred locations; there are stalls managed by dummy vendors; and vendors who claim they have bought or secured rights over preferred stalls and insist on selling their products even if they are not included in the official list of allowed sellers," the city information office said.
Weeks after the night market were resumed, they have implemented stricter rules and regulations for the vendors. The city government only wants to ensure that these orders being implemented will be followed by the vendors. For strictly measures, each vendor was given an ID System. Safety measures ensuring the cleanliness of the night market were set.
“The Roxas Night Market passed the minimum requirement of our city ordinance. So weekly I have my companion and we will monitor to make it sure na ang mga tao sa Davao City kay makakaon silag safe food,” Villagracia said.
The cleanliness and sanitation of the Roxas Night Market is approved by the Davao City Government. No outbreaks were so far reported for food poisoning so it assures the people that the food being sold in the night market are safe. However, there are still great chances and possibilities that the food will not be safe and be prone to some viruses. So, as a customer always be vigilant in everything that you buy.