Mobile markets to roam around Cebu City

Mobile markets in Cebu City will begin moving from one barangay to another starting April 2, 2020. | Photo courtesy of Cebu City PIO

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City government has launched the mobile markets to provide for the needs of its constituents who cannot go out amidst the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Mayor Edgardo Labella led the launching of the 18 mobile markets to be deployed around the city during the duration of the ECQ where most families are stuck in their homes.

The market authority launched 18 of these mobile markets and will first go to Barangay Apas for its first round.

Labella said the mobile markets aim to prevent the people from going to the public markets to buy their needs, further decreasing the exposure of crowds in bigger markets such as the Carbon Market and Pasil Fish Market.

“Hinaot unta dili nalang unta manggawas, maghuwat nalang sa mobile market. Aron pud ni matabangan nato ang usa’g usa. (We hope people would no longer go out, just wait for the mobile market. This would help many people),” said the mayor.

Jonil Matuguina, the head of the Market Authority, said all types of goods are sold in the mobile market such as seafood, meat, rice, vegetables, crops, canned goods, processed food, eggs, poultry, and other essentials.

The goods have been pre-packed by weight for easier transactions so that the vendor will no longer have to weigh the goods during the transaction process.

“Presyong Carbon, presyong Pasil kini. (The price would be the same as the price in Carbon and Pasil),” said Matuguina.

The mobile market will go to different barangays, but it will be stationary when in the barangay so that people can go and buy the sold items.

The barangays will be responsible for requesting the mobile markets, the number of mobile markets needed, and the time the mobile markets will stay in their barangays.

The barangays will also need to ensure that social distancing will be set when the mobile markets are in their area so that people will not crowd and risk the spread of the virus.

The mobile markets will travel from one barangay to another and may go in groups when necessary. The full implementation of these would begin around next week, when the people are expected to have already used up their stocks. /rcg