Baguio mayor enforces stricter sanitation checks after rat allegedly found in restaurant soup
A restaurant in Baguio City is under investigation after a customer was allegedly served a bowl of soup with a dead rat in it.
In an interview with the media, Mayor Benjamin Magalong said he has ordered an investigation into the restaurant after a video allegedly showing a dead rat in a bowl of sinigang went viral online. Authorities have also been directed to assess the area and nearby establishments' compliance with sanitation and food safety standards.
"Mahigpit tayo pagdating sa sanitation kaya talagang kailangan i-sanction natin 'yung restaurant na 'yun. Halos araw-araw umiikot 'yung ating sanitation team, nag-iinspect pero syempre hindi mo mako-control lahat," he said.
"After the investigation, magkakaroon ng punishment o penalty 'yung may-ari nung establishment na 'yun. I hope that this will serve as a lesson to all the other establishments that cater to food na kailangan talagang malinis," he added.
Magalong went on to express his apology to the customer who was served the contaminated soup and maintained that the restaurant cannot resume their business just because they conducted a general cleaning.
"Kailangan talaga magkaroon ng certification na talagang malinis na siya. Hindi naman basta-basta na lang nagbubukas. Ipapasara ko na lang ulit," he stressed.
Moreover, Magalong noted that they are planning to implement a program that will help curb the rodent situation in the Baguio City Public Market.
"Meron tayong programa ulit diyan sa market kasi dumadami na naman 'yung rodents. 'Yung mga vendors diyan, minsan walang pakielam eh. Hangga't hindi mo sasabihan, saka pa lang gagalaw, kaya dumadami na naman yung rodents diyan," he lamented.
"Kaya kailangan talaga i-sustain 'yung ating mga efforts diyan kasi hindi kayang gawin lahat ng gobyerno. Kailangan lahat tayo magtulungan. Mismong komunidad, makipagtulungan," he added.
As of writing, the establishment has not issued an official statement regarding the incident.
