Liloan lifts market schedules

The Municipal Hall of Liloan town in Cebu. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Residents in Liloan will no longer have to follow specific schedules to visit the town’s public market.

This after the local government of Liloan decided to repeal the previously issued Executive Order (EO) No. 2020-12 that mandated the regulation and control of people going to and from markets.

Last October 1, Liloan Mayor Ma. Christina Frasco released EO NO. 2020-12A that effectively lifted the regulation of all markets and supermarkets during the locality’s modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).

It will take effect today, Saturday (October 3, 2020).

“The schedule previously set in EO No. 2020-12 regulating and delineating access of barangays and other LGUs (local government units) to all wet and dry public and private markets and supermarkets in the Municipality of Liloan is hereby lifted. The public can now access these areas at any given day provided health and safety protocols are strictly observed,” portions of the two-page document read.

“EO No. 2020-12 had partly achieved its desired purpose because since then, Municipality of Liloan has not only flattened but also lowered the curve of confirmed and active cases of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), with only 18 active confirmed cases of COVID-19 to date, with an 87 percent recovery rate,” it added.

However, the mayor, her new EO, said that only the scheduling of visits would be removed, and that existing quarantine protocols and minimum health standards would remain.

“All previous local and provincial issuances mandating minimum health and safety protocols in public such as mandatory wearing of face mask, observance of one-meter social distancing, requirement of Liloan Quarantine Pass outside the home, temperature checks at the entrance, and other protocols shall continue to be strictly implemented in all Markets and Supermarkets,” the document stated.

“Failure to observe health and safety protocols shall result in revocation of business permits and/or closure of establishment/stall and/or filing of cases and imposition of penalties against individual violators, whether they are vendors or customers,” it added.

Frasco also ordered all public markets to close at least once a week for disinfection.

“Operators of supermarkets and wet market vendors shall ensure that any vendors showing signs or symptoms of COVID-19 shall not report for work, and shall immediately isolate and get tested for COVID-19, in compliance with all existing quarantine protocols,” the EO said.

Liloan is a first-class municipality located approximately 25 kilometers north of Cebu City. /dbs

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