400 vendors in Carbon Market agree to undergo swab testing; public hearing continues

EOC deputy chief implementor Councilor Joel Garganera speaks in front of vendors from Escañez Street in Carbon Market during a public hearing on Wednesday afternoon September 28, 2020. | Photo Courtesy of Cebu city EOC

CEBU CITY, Philippines — At least 400 vendors of the Carbon Public Market have agreed with the Emergency Operations Center’s (EOC) plan to conduct swab testing for ambulant and market vendors in the biggest market in Cebu starting September 28, 2020.

According to the Market Authority, at least 400 vendors from Escañez Street gave their nods in a pubic hearing held on Wednesday afternoon, September 23, 2020.

EOC deputy chief implementor, Councilor Joel Garganera, said they are now asking the cooperation of all vendors to do the same.

More public hearings from other vendors in the different units of Carbon Public Market will be conducted Thursday until Friday.

The initial plan of the EOC was for random testing among the vendors, but this did not sit well with them as they deemed it unfair to the vendors who will undertake the swab test and may be discriminated against for doing so.

“Naa unyay mosulti nga ‘ngano ako giswab, ngano sila dili?’ Para ato nang malikayan, mga 1,000 ka market vendors ug 1,000 ka ambulant vendors tanan iswab test,” said Garganera.

(Some vendors might say ‘Why was I swabbed and not them?’ To avoid this, all 1,000 market vendors and 1,000 ambulant vendors will undergo the swab testing.)

Ambulant vendors at the Carbon Market are registered under the Market Authority Office, just like the market unit owners. But they do not sell in rented stalls.

Garganera said this agreement with the market vendors is a huge help for the EOC because despite strict health protocols inside Carbon, it remains to be the place most visited by the public.

“The Carbon Market is the common denominator of positive COVID-19 cases, of contacts traced. Everyone has come and gone in the Carbon Market,” he said.

Despite this, the community transmission in Barangay Ermita, where the market is located, is essentially low. This is a good sign, since it shows that even though the Carbon Market is filled with people,  health protocols are being complied with.

The EOC is positive that with the agreement of the vendors in Escañez Street, the rest of the vendors in Carbon Market will also agree to the swab tests.

Market Authority Head Irvin Cabales said one of the concerns that the vendors have raised is the days they will have to wait for their swab results. Since they will be quarantined at home while the samples are being processed, they worry about the income they will lose during those days.

But they have thought of a solution to that problem.

“Ang buhaton nato ana is pwede naay ibutang nga replacement or substitute and vendor nga iswab. Paryente ba kaha. Aron padayon ang pagpaninda sa ilang pwesto,” said Cabales.

(What we will do is that we will allow the vendors to place a replacement or substitute for them in their stall or spot. Maybe a relative. This way, they can continue to sell in their spot.)

Cabales urged the rest of the vendors in Carbon to take the opportunity to be swabbed as those who will not submit to the swab test will be placed under home quarantine until the results of all those that has been swabbed will be released.

Essentially, it will be the same no-sell situation and so Cabales urged them to take advantage of the free swab instead.

“Tutal kung mopositive sila, mahatagan man sad silag ayuda sa syudad,” he added.

(Anyway if  they prove positive to the virus, they will be given aid from the city.)

/bmjo