NCR mayors urged: Set systematic spas inspection amid mpox threat

The unlicensed spa in Quezon City — where the first mpox patient of this year was logged and had close contacts — has prompted calls for stricter enforcement of licenses and business permit renewal.

Lawmakers made the petition on Friday after Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte confirmed that the Infinity Massage Spa on E. Rodriguez Avenue, which was visited by the 33-year-old male mpox patient, was operating without the necessary permits, including a business permit.

“Based on our records, they did not have any permits, including sanitary, environmental, and fire inspection clearances. They were operating illegally, so there is a high chance that there are other illegal activities there,” Belmonte said.

BHW Partylist Representative Natasha Co, the vice chairperson of the House Committee on Health, saw the need for rigorous inspections by local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila to ensure that all spas in the capital are compliant with permits and clearances. She said this would help curb the spread of mpox in the country.

“Clearly, there was a failure of regulation, but it’s a stumble QC can recover from and other NCR LGUs can learn from,” said Co.

“While QC is helping the DoH (Department of Health) with the mpox contact tracing, they might as well update the permits and clearances of the spa and all other spas in the city,” the lawmaker added.

The 33-year-old mpox patient was the 10th case of mpox in the country, according to the DoH. He had no travel history outside the country but had close, intimate contact with someone three weeks before symptom onset.

Meanwhile, Senior Partylist Representative Rodolfo Ordanes stressed that the mpox case recorded in Quezon City exposed the gaping holes in local business regulation.

“Due to mpox contact tracing, it was discovered that the spa did not have permits or clearances. The QC city hall should investigate who ‘turned a blind eye’ and neglected the barangay and the city hall,” Ordanes said.

He also called on the Department of the Interior and Local Government and Anti-Red Tape Authority to recommend to Congress amendments to the Local Government Code of 1991 and the Ease of Doing Business Act.

“I do not believe there is any city or municipality in the country that has enough personnel to inspect each and every registered and unregistered business in their LGU jurisdiction,” Ordanes said.