With the upcoming holiday feasts, the City Health Office is once again keeping an eye on foodborne diseases, including diarrhea.
One of the largest outbreaks occurred from December 2023 to January 2024, affecting nearly 3,000 individuals.
This water refilling station in Barangay T. Alonzo conducts monthly water testing.
“It has to be clean. People might get sick, and we feel sorry for them,” said Jun Tubera, worker.
They pay 350 pesos for testing, an amount they consider small to ensure their customers’ safety.
The City Health Office closely monitors these efforts.
According to Dr. Celia Flor Brillantes, City Health Officer – City Health Office, “We are now aware of that and have implemented policies to monitor it.”
At the Sanitation Laboratory of the City Health Office, water samples are still coming in for testing, primarily from water refilling stations and water haulers.
Samples undergo rapid testing to determine contamination.
“We are preventing this through monitoring canteens and restaurants,” Dr. Brillantes added.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong mentioned, “Regular inspections are conducted to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
As of now, there has been no significant rise in diarrhea cases, according to the City Health Office.
Inspection of water refilling stations has also intensified, in collaboration with the National Water Regulatory Board.
The January outbreak was caused by contaminated water containing sapovirus and norovirus.
BY: CHARLES NIKKO LIMON
