Your food delivery rider will soon need a health card

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Food delivery riders in Iloilo City will soon be required to obtain health cards as the City Health Office steps up efforts to protect consumers from possible food contamination during delivery.

Jennifer Christie Avenir, chief of the CHO’s Environmental Sanitation Division, said the city will notify food delivery companies that their riders must comply with health card requirements following a rise in reports of contaminated food posted on social media.

“We call on all food delivery riders to obtain their health cards because they will be the next sector we will inspect. We will coordinate with and visit their delivery companies since many riders have yet to comply with our health and sanitation requirements,” she said.

“We are already locating the offices of all delivery service providers because we will send them letters informing them that their riders need to comply with health card requirements,” Avenir added.

She explained that food delivery riders are the next sector to be covered by the city’s sanitation program because they directly handle food before it reaches consumers.

Health cards, or health certificates, are already mandatory for food handlers in the Philippines under Presidential Decree No. 856, the Code on Sanitation of the Philippines, which requires workers who prepare or handle food to secure clearance from local health authorities.

“We don’t know whether these riders are physically fit or if they are carrying contaminants. Cross-contamination is one factor that can affect the quality of food while it is being transported,” she said.

Avenir urged residents to report food contamination complaints directly to the CHO instead of merely posting them on social media.

“It has already reached us, and we’ve seen many social media posts showing contaminated food or physical hazards found in meals. Instead of simply posting online, please report these incidents directly to the Environmental Sanitation Division so we can investigate and resolve the issue,” she said.

She clarified that while the CHO has monitored complaints circulating online, no formal complaint has yet been filed against any food delivery rider.

Avenir said the CHO conducts daily inspections of food establishments, monitoring no fewer than 100 establishments each day to ensure compliance with sanitation regulations.

She also encouraged restaurants and food businesses to adopt stricter food handling practices, particularly for takeout and delivery orders.

She recommended that food establishments show the packed food to customers before sealing it for delivery and have customers acknowledge that the order was complete and properly prepared before dispatch.

The CHO also reminded organizers of conventions, festivals, and other large gatherings to coordinate with the office before their events so health authorities can conduct inspections beforehand.

Avenir noted that while her office receives complaints regarding food handling, some reports were found to have been filed by competing businesses to discredit rivals.

She emphasized that complaints undergo verification and investigation before any enforcement action is taken.

“During our investigation, it is important that food establishments observe proper food handling practices. They must have the necessary business permit, sanitary permit, and health cards for their employees,” she said.

The CHO official added that part of their investigation is verifying the establishment’s sources of raw ingredients to ensure they come from approved and licensed suppliers, particularly meat, chicken, fish, and vegetables.

She also advised hotels and restaurants sourcing drinking water from outside Iloilo City to obtain copies of the sanitary or business permits of the refilling stations supplying them.

“We cannot investigate establishments that are outside our jurisdiction, so businesses must ensure their suppliers are properly licensed,” Avenir said.