Scenes from inside Cebu South Bus Terminal as of 10 a.m. today, March 27, 2020. The long queues are gone and fewer passengers are now waiting to board the buses. | CDN Digital File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Public officials in Cebu province are planning to put another layer of protection and social distancing between suppliers of raw products and their wholesale buyers by creating a system where the bus terminals will be used as bagsakan centers for the province’s wholesale produce.
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia announced that a ’systematic’ way of transporting farm products from different parts of the province that involved no contact among buyers and drivers was being formulated.
This was among the concerns raised by the mayors during an emergency meeting held at the Capitol on Friday, April 17, 2020 as they sought measures on preventing the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Garcia said the province had identified Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT) and North Bus Terminal as bagsakan centers for suppliers of wholesale products coming from the south and north respectively.
“As far as we are concerned, since the enhanced community quarantine suspended public transportation, the CSBT has been vacant. So might as well put it to use,” said Garcia in Cebuano.
She said that the Mandaue City government, which owns and co-manages NBT, had expressed willingness to be used as a bagsakan center for wholesale produce.
The governor also said they were planning to plot out a scheduling system between suppliers and wholesale buyers to minimize contact.
“Our main concern is that our suppliers will have to travel back to the province. We want to minimize or even prevent the risk of drivers and loaders of farm produce of getting infected,” Garcia said.
“And we all know it would be difficult to implement strict social distancing in a wet market setting. The people are expected to crowd,” she added.
Delivery of essential goods such as raw products remained unhampered despite the prevailing ECQ and tighter border regulations the Capitol has imposed.
However, Garcia reminded that only one driver and an assistant are allowed to enter the territorial jurisdiction of Cebu province, and that they should have the appropriate passes and documents to present to authorities. /dbs