MAKATI Mayor Abby Binay has ordered city inspectors to do a thorough check on work permits of employees in establishments, following the discovery of fake health certificates being used by over 40 employees of a supermarket.

“This is a stern reminder that we will not tolerate any action that compromises the health and safety of our citizens,” she said.

In a report to the mayor, Dr. Ronald Unson, City Health Officer, said city inspectors found 48 individuals with fake health clearances in the employee records of WalterMart Makati.

Unson said the city Veterinary Services Department initially became suspicious of documents submitted by two meat handlers from WalterMart applying for a meat handler’s permit. The documents were confirmed to be fake upon verification with the Makati Health Department (MHD) and Business Permit and Licensing Office.

A joint inspection by the three agencies at WalterMart Makati subsequently showed a total of 48 individuals with fake health clearances. According to the supermarket’s management, they did not check the documents against the city’s official Health Clearance Certificate system, which would have caught the fakes.

City inspectors also discovered that some employees got their fake health certificates from a coworker who charged P1,000 so they could circumvent the required procedure.

“It is the responsibility of employers to see to it that their employees strictly comply with health and safety regulations of the city. Allowing workers to commit fraud to skip proper health checks puts the public at risk of contracting infectious diseases,” Unson said.

A health clearance certificate from MHD is a requirement to obtain an individual mayor’s permit, which is required of all employees in Makati-based establishments and offices, both private and government.

Under City Ordinance 2019-A-102, non-food-related establishment workers only need to pay P80 for a health clearance certificate, P100 for food-related establishment workers, and P150 for executives, managers, and supervisors. They also need to pay P50 for the processing of their documents and the seminar.

The health clearance certificate is valid for one year from the date of issuance but should be renewed yearly.

Employees without health certificates will be penalized with a P1,000 fine for the first offense, P2,000 for the second offense, and P3,000 for the third offense. The owner of the establishment will shoulder the penalties.

The city Law Department is reviewing the case for possible filing of criminal charges for the falsification of official documents.

In February 2023, the city launched an online application for health clearance certificate through https://makati.healthcert.ph. The standardized, digitized, and centralized health clearance system aims to help employees get their health certificates without going to City Hall.