QC markets told: No sewage treatment plants, no business permits

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City council has enacted an ordinance that would require local private and public markets to install and operate sewage treatment plants as a prerequisite to the issuance of their business permits.

In Monday’s regular session, the city council passed on third and final reading the “Sewage Treatment Plant of Quezon City Markets Ordinance,” which has been meant to boost a provision of the 2009 Green Building Ordinance of 2009 pertaining to sewage treatment plants in the city’s markets.

The ordinance, introduced by third district councilor Gian Carlo Sotto, highlights the danger posed by market wastes to the health of Quezon City residents and to the environment.

Market waste, according to the measure, is usually composed of fish scales, bones, blood, meat bits, dirt, and filthy water and may pollute streams and rivers if discharged untreated to the bodies of water.

It said, “There is an imminent danger to the health of our people and there is a need to mandate the installation of sewage treatment plant for markets whether private or public … to substantially reduce the number of disease-causing microorganisms in the water to be discharged back into the environment.”

The sewage treatment plants in markets would ensure that wastewater is filtered and treated, to make it less harmful to people and the environment, in the manner required under the Clean Water Act of 2004.

Under the measure all public and private markets in Quezon City are required to secure a permit from the Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department (EPWMD), Market Development and Administration Department (MDAD) and the city building official (CBO) to set up their respective sewage treatment plants as a prerequisite to the renewal of their business permits.

It states, “All newly constructed markets shall operate only upon presentation of the enjoined installation of STP duly certified by EPWMD, CBO and MDAD.”

The measure emphasizes that a public or private market that fails to comply with its provisions will not be issued a business permit to operate or will be denied a permit renewal. Absence of a business permit may cause the closure of a commercial establishment.

Quezon City currently has 11 public markets while some of the privately-owned marketplaces are: the Cloverleaf and MC Markets in Balintawak, Barangay (village) Balingasa; the Munoz Market in Barangay Veterans Village; the Visayas Wet and Dry Market and the Tandang Sora Bayan Palengke in Barangay Tandang Sora; the Litex Wet and Dry Market in Barangay Commonwealth; the New Arayat Market in Barangay San Martin de Porres; and the ES & EM Market in Barangay Kaligayahan.