A vendor in Mantalongon, Dalaguete unpacking a basket of vegetables. |CDN FILE PHOTO
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu provincial government collected P2.4 million sales from its 16 bagsakan centers, or Tindahan sa Kapitolyo, within their first two weeks of operations.
As of April 22, 2020, the bagsakan centers reported to have sold P2,402,503.97, or 16 percent of their estimated sales based on their capital allocation of goods.
The Capitol distributed P16,735,202.40 worth of basic goods in the bagsakan centers when they started operations as early as April 6. Some bagsakan centers, however, started to open just last week.
The towns that now have operational bagsakan centers are Alcantara, Ronda, Borbon, Sogod, Santa Fe, Ginatilan, Poro, Samboan, Aloguinsan, Tabogon, Santander, Tabuelan, Tudela, Alegria, Argao, and Boljoon.
Read: 20 ‘poor’ towns in Cebu to pilot Bagsakan Centers next week
Since the provincial government subsidizes 10 percent of the cost of the products so they may be sold at lower prices compared to their suggested retail prices, the expected total sales from the bagsakan centers is only at P15,061,682.16.
Read: Tindahan sa Kapitolyo sells basic goods at less 10 percent
Governor Gwendolyn Garcia earlier said that the Capitol will not earn any revenue from the bagsakan centers and that the 10 percent loss due to the subsidy will be counted as assistance to the residents of the towns that host the bagsakan centers during the implementation of the province-wide enhanced community quarantine.
As of April 22, the 16 towns have already deposited P2,302,985.59 back to the province’s treasury while P99,518.38 are ready to be deposited.
Garcia said amount that has already returned to the Capitol will be reused to buy another round of goods to replenish the supplies in the bagsakan centers. /bmjo