Over 500 caught violating protocols in Cebu City markets in just 2 weeks

The Market Authority controls the number of people entering the Carbon Public Market in this file photo.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Over 500 persons were apprehended at different Cebu City markets for failing to comply with the basic health protocols.

The Cebu City Market Operations Division (MOD) has started intensely implementing the health protocols since January 25, 2021, due to the spike in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the city.

MOD Head, Irvin Cabales, said that since most of the violators are from the Carbon Public Market and the Pasil Fish Market, Barangay Ermita has offered its gym to house the arrested quarantine violators.

After two weeks of intensified monitoring, the MOD apprehended over 500 violators, some of whom were brought to the temporary holding center while others were asked to undergo a seminar on the importance of health protocols.

Cabales said that many of the vendors at the wet market have a hard time following the protocols because they cannot breathe through a wet mask.

They are the most likely to violate the protocols, so the MOD has been distributing free masks to the vendors to encourage them to replace their masks when it becomes wet.

“Nanghatag tag free nga masks aron dili modaghan atong violators,” said Cabales.

The MOD has also been patrolling the three units of Carbon Market and other markets to find violators and to monitor the social distancing in the markets.

Cabales said that since it is important for the division to be closer to the vendors, their office will be moved to Unit II inside the Carbon Market starting next week, February 8, 2021.

Their office at the Bayanihan building will be occupied by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Cebu City.

The space for the new MOD office will be bigger, which would allow them to cater to the needs of the vendors better. /rcg