Scenes from the Carbon Market in Cebu City on Holy Wednesday, March 31, 2021. | CDN Digital File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Market Operations Division (MOD) is reminding shoppers and vendors of the Carbon Market to follow the health protocols or else they will have to do community service.
The MOD and the city government have recently met with the barangay chiefs who have jurisdiction over the Carbon Market especially with Barangay Ermita where most of the market belongs, to discuss the safety measures to be placed during the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).
The authorities have agreed not to limit the entry of shoppers into the market as long as social distancing and minimum health requirements are followed.
Irvin Cabales, MOD head, told CDN Digital that there would be no need to put up a coding system just like in the past MECQ because the public was more compliant now.
“So far wala naman kaayoy violators. Sa una mo-average tag 50 per day karon tag upat o lima na lang. So wala ra ta nakakita sa need nga magscheduling,” said Cabales.
(So far there are fewer violators. Before we average 50 per day and now there are only four or five violators. So we do not see the need for scheduling.)
Still, the MOD has intensified monitoring in all units of the Carbon Market to ensure that both vendors and customers are following the health protocols.
Violators will be brought to the interim market at Unit II where they will have to listen to a seminar about COVID-19 and do a few hours of community service.
Carbon market karumateros’ schedule
The MOD also set a schedule for the workers in the market especially the karumateros so that they will not flock the market at a specific time.
Usually karumateros arrive at around 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., and the MOD facilitated their schedules so they don’t flock the streets with their carts all at the same time.
As for traffic, the MOD has once again set the one entry-one exit policy for vehicles to avoid congestion on the streets.
For now, the Carbon Market vendors and shoppers or customers are seemingly compliant to the protocols.
“Unta magpadayon lang kay kailangan gyod ta magtinabangay ron,” said Cabales.
(We hope that this continues because we really need to help each other now.)
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