Davao del Norte: Mobile vendors and online sellers of “essentials” such as rice, bread, meat, poultry, fish, fruits, vegetables, cooking oil and other condiments are now required to present proper documents to buyers to ensure food safety.
This is according to Resolution No. 03, S-2020 released by the City Government of Tagum after holding a COVID-19 City Task Force (CCTF) meeting on April 17, 2020 providing specific guidelines for mobile food vendors during Enhanced Community Quarantine.
Resolution No. 03, S-2020 directs “all mobile food vendors selling meat or pork to secure Sanitary Permit and Health Card from the City Health Office and Meat Inspection Certificate from authorized slaughterhouse or City Economic Enterprises Office.
All mobile food vendors selling fish and other aquatic/marine products are also required to secure sanitary permit and Health Card from the City Health Office and Fish Transfer Permit from the City Economic Enterprises Office
The resolution set food deliveries to be conducted between 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Along with these new guidelines, the resolution makes it mandatory to vendors to observe the previously established policies such as wearing of face mask, and presenting of Health Card and valid ID; social distancing of at least one (1) meter from person to person; having a maximum of two workers: one driver and one assistant and to implement proper food handling.
COVID-19 City Task Force (CCTF) of Tagum has deemed it necessary to implement the resolution because the initial Executive Order on food safety and protection of consumer interests did not include specific guidelines. (Jan Vincent Leuterio, UM Tagum OJT/PIA Davao del Norte/jmda)