Ordinance requiring ‘clean as you go’ in public fast foods in Cebu City proposed

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Clean As You Go (CLAYGO) ordinance of 2023 is proposed in public fast food establishments within Cebu City.

The proposed ordinance aims to promote cleanliness and minimize health risks to hygiene, health and safety, and to raise awareness and habit on proper waste segregation.

During the council’s regular session on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, Cebu City Councilor Edgardo Labella II explained the importance of the proposed ordinance.

“This is to create discipline to the people, when you go to other countries man gud, they are doing this, kasagaran g’yud mao g’yud ni ilang gibuhat,” said Labella. (… in most places, this is what they do.)

“It’s a matter of showing the people [that] they can also work with the establishment [and get used to it],” he added.

The proposal also stated that this is to lessen reliance on food service crews and to encourage them in helping food service crew members in small ways such as by practicing ‘clean as you go’ after they dine, which is the practice of cleaning and maintaining cleanliness in the immediate vicinity during and after dining, ensuring a clean and pleasant environment for all patrons.

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Moreover, owners and managers of the covered establishments are required to install signages, providing garbage bin with cleaning supplies like napkins, washcloths, and such.

On the other hand, customers and patrons of the covered establishments should clean their table, return their respective trays, and throw any wastes in the garbage bin that is provided by the management.

Customers who are senior citizens and persons with disabilities with mobility impairments should be assisted by the food service crews.

If the ordinance is approved, violators will be fined P500 for the first offense, P1,000 for the second offense, and P1,500 for the third offense.

NOT FOR CARENDERIAS, STREET FOOD VENDORS

However, the CLAYGO ordinance does not cover carenderias, street food vendors, and such due to lesser manpower, as clarified by Labella.

“So ang atong kakuyawan, basin sa kanang mga utensils nga gipagamit dili nuon mauli, and then mostly we go to fastfoods kay kasagaran mga disposable man, noh so just to throw the trash they have and to clean it,” he added.

(So the concern is that

Furthermore, the proposal received support from businesses including Carbon Market Vendors Development Cooperative (CEMVEDCO) and Jollibee fast food chain where both parties refuse to issue any comment.

/bmjo

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