Pangasinan City tightens regulations on junk shop operations

ALAMINOS CITY, Pangasinan — The city government has imposed stricter regulations on junk shop operations, requiring them to meet environmental, sanitation, and safety standards. It also prescribed fines of up to P5,000 for various violations.

Sangguniang Panlungsod passed City Ordinance No. 2026-12 on August 11, which Mayor Arth Bryan C. Celeste approved on Oct. 21. The ordinance controls the proliferation of junk shops and addresses their potential effects on public health, traffic, sanitation, and the environment.

The ordinance requires all junk shops and similar establishments operating in the city to secure valid business permits and comply with zoning, sanitation, fire safety, and environmental requirements.

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Among the documents required for a business permit are a barangay clearance, a resolution of ‘no objection’ from the barangay council where the establishment is located, an environmental management plan, an endorsement from the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), a zoning clearance, a sanitary permit, and a fire safety inspection clearance.

Junkshops in environmentally critical areas must also secure a Certificate of Non-Coverage or an Environmental Compliance Certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, depending on the DENR Environmental Management Bureau’s assessment.

Additional environmental permits are required, when applicable, for businesses that handle hazardous waste, operate air pollution sources, or discharge wastewater.

The ordinance also sets physical infrastructure and safety requirements for junk shops. These include a hard-surfaced loading and unloading area measuring 32 to 60 square meters outside the road right-of-way, a perimeter fence at least three meters high, a functional drainage system, and pallets to keep scrap materials off the ground.

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Establishments must also provide separate waste bins, a temporary containment area for residual waste, fire extinguishers, closed-circuit television cameras, a first-aid kit, a permanent hand-washing station and appropriate warning signs.

The ordinance requires workers to wear appropriate personal protective equipment, while establishments must designate a safety officer and, when required by DENR regulations, a pollution control officer./coa