MANILA, Philippines — The Manila city government said it would strengthen its licensing system for street vendors after a University of the Philippines Manila study found drug-resistant bacteria in juice stalls sold by vendors in Tondo.
In a statement Wednesday, the Manila Health Department said the issue was a “high-priority public health concern,” noting that they have rolled out a multi-point action plan to combat the reported contamination.
Dr. Grace Padilla, Manila City health officer, said they planned to offer free water potability testing for vendors and required the submission of updated water potability certifications in addition to existing sanitary permit requirements.
Padilla added that they aimed to make the certification process “as accessible as possible” for small vendors and was seeking the mayor’s approval to waive associated fees.
