UPV Launches Food Safety Manual for Iloilo MSMEs

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By Mariela Angella Oladive

The University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) officially launched its Participatory Food Safety Manual on May 23 at the Performing Arts Hall of the UPV Iloilo City campus.

Titled Food Safety and Community: A Practical Guide to Food Safety for Food Service MSMEs in Urbanized Areas of Iloilo, the manual is written in both English and Hiligaynon.

It provides culturally relevant, practical food safety guidelines tailored to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), including street food vendors, karinderyas, and seafood sellers.

The manual supports Iloilo City’s designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy by promoting responsible and safe food handling practices.

Led by Dr. Johannes M. Magpusao of the UPV School of Technology, the project began in 2023 and was developed by a multidisciplinary team.

The team partnered with local government units from Iloilo City, Dumangas, and Oton to represent a diverse cross-section of food service MSMEs.

To ensure accuracy and accessibility, the team conducted knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) surveys among food handlers and incorporated their experiences into the manual.

Project contributors include Dr. Magpusao as project leader; Mr. Kristoffer Panes, illustrator; Dr. Alicia Gonzales, language editor; Ms. Emiliza Lozada; Dr. Jade Pahila; Mr. Janreich Miramon; Mr. John Ray Molavin; Mr. Jose Marie Eslopor; Assistant Professor Lumen Tejano; Professor Eliodora Dimzon; and Dr. Johan Santanina Alumbro.

“The difference in this manual is that it’s tailored toward smaller businesses like street food vendors,” Magpusao said.

“Most food safety guidebooks are technical. We don’t have anything laymanized,” she added.

“This one is practical and direct to the point: What do they need to know? How can they do it? What are alternative options?”

The manual is organized into four sections: Facilities, Personal Hygiene, Cleaning and Sanitation, and Process Control.

It features hand-painted illustrations to enhance understanding and engagement.

UPV Chancellor Clement Camposano underscored the importance of raising food safety standards across all levels of food service, from roadside stalls to high-end hotels.

“I believe we are much closer to that goal now,” Camposano said.

He thanked project partners and emphasized UP’s role in applying scientific knowledge to real-world community needs.

“Food hounds us in ways that physical heritage cannot,” he added.

“That’s why we are so bent on pushing this — because it has a very significant impact on our livelihood and our city’s economy.”

Camposano explained that the manual’s participatory approach intentionally started with the existing practices of food service enterprises.

He said effective science communication must begin with people’s lived experiences, acknowledging their limitations, cultural assumptions, and generational knowledge.

Initial copies of the manual will be distributed to priority sectors while copyright processing is ongoing.

The first print run was funded by the Office of the Chancellor and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension.

The project team is now seeking partners for broader reproduction and distribution.